District 9 and a half
by Stardust2101
Summary: I wondered what the people who lived next to the main characters might've done/thought/seen from their perspective... & where things might go between D9 and D10. Just playing around mostly, exploring possibilities I've thought of. Updated/fixed 01/11.
1. Chapter 1

Kaylee Sommers was a typical kid. She laughed, played, went to school, and talked with friends.  
The only child of a factory shift supervisor and secretary, she was generally doted upon by her loving parents.  
She was but a toddler when the alien spaceship appeared over Earth's skies, and coasted to a halt above northern Johannesburg.  
Unaware of the greater significance of the event, as the days afterward turnedinto weeks, then months, where nothing changed, the massive gray saucer looming above the cityline faded from wondrous awe to another common sight, like the big tree across the street, or visiting with friends and wandering the neighborhood. The only difference to her world was the wa people were a good deal more guarded around the outlanders.  
As if they were afraid.  
The government assured everyone over and over again that they were not a threat and that they were being closely watched.  
Kristine did not fear them. Yes, they looked different, talked and thought differently, and their language sounded very guttural, like burps with consonants scattered throughout. In her mind, she would treat them no differently than anyone else she saw, unless they gave her reason to think otherwise.  
Time went by, and she went about her days as usual, finishing school and applying at several prestigious universities. The situation in the aliens' encampment quickly became permanent, and violence & tensions rose quickly. She would sit with her parents after work and school and watch the news as the media told them of events set in motion by the aliens, now more often than not referred to as "prawns".  
She google-searched prawns - a relative of the shrimp.  
Like most humans, she thought it fit, She even thought it a bit amusing. And like the rest of the world, she grew to hate and fear them.  
One day while out with her boyfriend and some of their pals, they came across a lone injured prawn. The boys surrounded the creature and began to taunt it, screaming insults and throwing stones. She stayed off to the side with her best friend Jennifer, watching the exhausted-looking creature as it tried to fend off their blows. One of the boys jumped into it, knocking it to the ground, and the others quickly moved in and began to agressively beat it.  
"Guys, guys, come on," Jennifer cried. "That's a bit overboard, don't you think?!"  
"It's an animal," one of them tossed over his shoulder, as if that justified their actions.  
Kaylee felt a cold sensation grip her. "Guys, that's enough," she said.  
Heedless of her growing alarm, the boys continued to kick and prod the prawn.  
"Get the animal!" they chanted. "Get it! Get it good!"  
She walked over to her boyfriend and laid a hand on his arm. "That's enough," she repeated, more forcefully.  
He shrugged off her arm, laughing, kicking sand into its face.  
In that instant, the prawn roared angrily. Its leg shot out and knocked one of the boys flying through the air, landing twenty feet away.  
The others, startled, began to back away.  
Not fast enough.  
The prawn leaped up, like a coiled spring, and grabbed one of the other boys & shoved him to the ground. He criedout in pain.  
Its eyes locked with Kaylee's, and she saw the rage that had broken free.  
Jennifer screamed, and they all bolted.  
From that day forward, they avoided them as much as possible.  
Her mother lost her job, but quickly obtained a new one with Multi-National United, the year before she left for university, from their neighbor, a couple of newlyweds.  
The van der Merwes.  
At the time, they were just another couple, with whom they socialized occasionally. She had no idea they would become the spotlight on the international stage.  
When the hubbub surrounding the spaceship's departure had died down, and the whistle-blower's trial seemed to dominate the news, she began to research the aliens.  
It turned out there was a lot more on the aliens than she thought possible: news feeds, documentaries, advocates for non0human rights... she read and absorbed them all, but admittedly taking it with a grain of salt.  
One night, her parents got into an argument over the prawns and their actions, as to whether or not they were justified.  
"They're animals!" her dad exclaimed.  
"They've been repressed and victimized by humans for far too long," hermother countered. "Trust me, I see it ever day at work. The nature of the calls and emails that come in. The types of memos being sent out. I'm surprised they were able to keep as calm as they did for as long as they did. I feared it would turn into open revolt, with the military moving in and slaughtering them all."  
"So much the better," her dad shot back.  
Her mother shook her head. "Nobody deserves to live in the conditions that permeate District Nine. Nobody. And if we tried to get them to help us, instead of beating it out of them, maybe they'd be a lot more willing to cooperate."  
"They tried that years ago, when they first arrived," her father almost yelled. "It didn't work then, and it won't work now."  
"You're so certain of that, aren't you?" Kaylee interrupted.  
Her parents both looked at her, as if surprised to see her standing there.  
"Seriously," she continued. "Suppose that, yes, the prawns are just vicious bugs with no real intellect and no real sense of morals. Does that make what goes on in their camp any better?"  
"What do you know of the prawns?" her dad growled.  
"A lot more than you, apparently," Kaylee said. "I've actually done some reading on them. The satellite imagery over District 9 is as bad as the worst slums you'll find anywhere."  
"They are the ones who made it that way," her dad spat.  
"Only because as a result of their actions we started holding out on them," her mother interjected. "And what does any caged animal do when threatened?"  
He simply waved her points away as if they were so much bad odor.  
From that day onwards, things were different for her. Her parents treated her more like an adult, asking for her thoughts and input on important decisions.  
Eventually, the time came for their annual vacation trip to Hawaii; due to her preparing for school and her work, Kaylee decided not to go along.  
With the house to herself for a week strait, she threw a party. Friends from all over came and they danced and danced for hours. When everyone had left, she fell asleep on the couch, only to be startled awake later by a crash outside.  
Stumbling wearily to the door, she stepped outside only to lock gazes with a prawn on the van der Merwes' doorstep.  
"Hey, you!" she shouted. "Get out of here! I'm calling the cops!"  
The prawn looked at her and gestured for her to keep quiet, a human gesture. It was clothed in a dark-colored collared shirt, with one sleeve all ripped. Something in its eyes – even in the dead of night – seemed familiar. It began walking towards her, and under the glow of the street lamp she recognized its eyes.  
"Oh my God," she breathed, backing slowly towards her house. The prawn stopped, and pulled out something from a rudimentary belt it wore. It laid it on her front lawn before taking off at a run no human could hope to match.  
When it was out of sight, she went over and picked up the shiny object it had left behind, seeing a rudimentary flower made out of scrap metal. She went over to the neighbors' front door and found another one on the front step.  
In that one instant, her entire worldview shifted. Understanding dawned. And a bolt of recognition struck her like lightning.  
"…Wikus?"


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Kahlee noticed a letter in the mailbox, addressed to her. Opening it, she saw a letter written in almost illegible handwriting.

_What the heck is this?..._ she wondered. Taking it inside and going to her room, she sat down on her bed and began to read.

Hello Kahlee, this is Wikus. Please, don't throw this away, you're the only person I can trust right now.

Her eyes narrowed at that, but she read on.

There is a great deal that has happened, and doubtless what you may have heard very little of it is accurate or true. I know we have been friendly, and you would probably not consider us friends, but nevertheless I have nobody else to reach out to. The world needs to know the truth.

Something in the tone of the letter seemed to get to her, and she found herself compelled to read on.

Contrary to what you have heard on the news and radio, I have not been "infected" and am not "contagious". While going shack to shack in the district, giving notice of eviction to the prawns, I confiscated a vial of black fluid after I was accidentally sprayed in the face with its contents. After feeling ill for a few hours…

He went on to describe the early stages of his "prawnification", the weapons tests he was forced to perform, the horror he still felt over being forced to murder another being, and his fears over how the dead prawn was somebody's parent, confidant, and support, and how he had denied someone to someone else. The look in the prawn's eyes the moment he pulled the trigger…

She felt tears welling up, and skipped to the next paragraph.

…and after I escaped, I knew that with all the changes happening and after what they almost succeeded in doing I knew the only safe haven in the world was back with them. The prawns. After all we've done to them, I felt horrible… all I want is to go home and be with Tania. Yet I am no longer even _human_. How can I expect anyone to accept me?!

More to the point, how can the prawns accept me, after all we – I – have done to them? We call them monsters, but it is _we_ who are the monsters. Almost everything we do to them, we do it to increase their suffering. And we wonder about all the acts of violence and why they keep doing it. They are desperate!

The scribbles became even harder to read as she approached the bottom of the page, but she could make out a request to come to the corner of the edge of town.

It was almost on a strait line to District 10. There would likely be other people – and prawns – about as well. She debated for over an hour the validity of going or not, before getting on a bus ang going.

When she arrived at the suggested area, there was little of note around; some abandoned buildings, traffic along the nearby highway, people coming and going from a strip mall nearby, but no sign of any prawns.

A slamming door across an empty parking lot made her jump. Turning around, she saw a metal door banging gently against the side of an empty building; inside there wass only inky darkness. She briefly considered going for help or leaving altogether, but decided she had made it this far on her own, might as well stay the course. Unhooking a small can of mace from her pocket and tucking it into the palm of her hand, she strolled leisurely across the empty, weed-strewn parking lot to the open door.

She stopped just outside and listened carefully, but could not hear anything. Visibly bracing herself, she stepped inside and waited for her eyes to adjust.

"Hello?" she called out. The only reply was her voice echoing off the far wall of the empty warehouse.

"Wikus?"

Across the empty concrete floor, on either side, there was a doorway that led to a flight of stairs; that much she could see from her angle. From one of them emerged a prawn head.

"Wikus?" she repeated.

The prawn stepped out of cover; aside from a pair of shredded pants and a baseball bat the creature was unarmed. It placed the bat on the ground and gestured for her to approach.

She approached cautiously, unable to shake a sense of unease, but something in this prawn's eyes told her she was safe.

"Oh, wow, Wikus, look at you!" she exclaimed, and he nodded sadly, antennae drooping.

A pale colored prawn stepped out of hiding – one of a breed she didn't remember seeing – and took a hesitant step towards her.

"Who's this?" Kahlee asked Wikus.

This is a friend, he clicked slowly, to help her understand. Thank you for coming. I was worried you wouldn't – it's not like we have been close in any regard…

"Well, I usually have a hard time refusing a call for help," she replied with a shrug. "So who's this?" She pointed at the lighter-plated prawn.

She is… a friend, Wikus answered, and Kahlee's face scrunched up in disgust. And NO, I did NOT do ANYTHING to or with these CREATURES, he growled angrily. This- all this-he gestured at himself-is because their fuel and technology bonds with their DNA only. I never TOUCHED one of them until I started TURNING INTO one of them. How it is possible I do not know!

He was clearly getting agitated, and Kahlee took a step back, suddenly fearful. The other prawn noticed and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Forgive me, he clicked. All I ever wanted was to go home. Poor Tania must believe me to be a freak.

"It's okay," Kahlee said. There wass a brief pause, then she said, "She misses you, Tania. She wishes there was some way to help."

If I can live long enough, without her father and his cronies finding me, Wikus told her, When Christopher returns he will be able to change me back into a human. And then we can be together again.

"So there _were_ prawns left on the ship!"

Wikus shook his head. The pale prawn laughed, a throaty, almost gargling sound.

There was no one left aboard the ship, the pale one said. The one of us you call Christopher Johnson was able to re-board it and fly it away with the fuel that he and Wikus here reacquired, after Wikus originally confiscated it.

"Oh."

There wass the sound of horns honking outside, and the three looked nervously at the door.

"Look, Wikus, why did you ask me to come here?" Kahlee asked.

Tell her, the other prawn prompted.

Wikus sighed. The new District 10 is almost completely locked up, he began. It will soon be very difficult for us to get out if we must, to procure items wee would not be able to get from inside.

"I can't smuggle things in to you," she protested. "I'm just a teenager!"

I would not ask you to. But if I give you money – could you go to a drugstore and buy some medical supplies for me? I hardly can, given my… appearance. I'm much more likely to get beaten and chased off, or shot, if I show myself anywhere outside District 10. Which, by the way, is more a concentration camp than anything else, regardless of what you may hear.

"Uh…"

Trust me. I have been there, and it is where I will be… staying, although not by choice. It is the only place I am safe, and can hide, with Kisa here and her friend Anthony. He indicated the pale prawn, who nodded.

"Who's Christopher?"

He is the one who first noticed what was happening to me, and promised to fix me when he returns. These two took me in when he left.

"Why did he leave, and dump you on them? I know that sounds cold and rude, but I can't help but wonder."

Wikus sighed again. The prawns are being used, he explained in a sad tone. They are being treated as slaves, with little to no rights, in medical experiments, being cut open and taken apart in an attempt by MNU to make use of their technology. He stepped towards her and took her by the shoulders. They are being taken apart like guinea pigs, in laboratories, he clicked, and his eyes burned into hers. I had no idea until a couple of weeks ago – the same day the mothership left, actually. _And it must stop!_ When the prawn civilization at large finds out about how we are dealing with these beings…

"Wikus…" Kahlee squirmed in his grip. "Let me go."  
He released her and stepped back. I am sorry, he chirped softly. These events have been extremely stressful on me. I mean, it's not like you can spray gasoline on a monkey and expect it to turn into a human, with all the intellect and abilities and understanding of one!

Kahlee smiled at the analogy. "Good point."

I could go on and on, he said, People need to know of the prawns' plight. It is nothing like you might suspect; It's nothing like what _I_ suspected, and I _worked_ for them! The media paints them in a bad light – which is accurate, as far as it goes – but they are striking out against the abuses the MNU and the military inflict on them, behind the closed gates of where they are penned up.

"I see."

I know that look, he clicked. It is not my place to convince you, But it is perfectly legal to acquire some basic first aid equipment. We are not asking you for weapons or money, but…

"I get it, I get it!" she exclaimed, waving at him. "Give me your money. I'll go get you something."

You _will_ return, right? Wikus asked.

Kahlee glared at him. "Prawns haven't done anything to me to warrant my anger," she said. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."

The two prawns watched her leave.

Can she be trusted? Kisa asked.

Wikus didn't reply, choosing instead to stare at the yellow rectangle of the door.

Hey, she repeated, massaging his shoulder plates. Will she turn us in?

Eventually, Wikus shook his head slowly.

I hope your faith in your former neighbor's daughter is not misplaced, she clicked sternly, turning him around to face her. If she returns with MNU, or the police, we are in for a world of trouble.

I know. But at the same time, she may be our last, best hope…

Over an hour later, Kahlee returned with a bag from a nearby department store. A pair of MNU Armored transports roared by and banked around the corner, and the two hidden prawns feared they had been betrayed, but the vehicles kept right on going.

"Are you still in here?" Kahlee called from the doorway.

They were, and she gave the two prawns their goods and change. Inside they found a roll of gauze, antibacterial cream, bandages, medical tape and a box of tissues.

Thank you, Kisa murmured.

"No worries," Kahlee replied. "Anything else? Or can I go now?"

Actually… Wikus said, Would you… be willing to deliver a message to Tania for me?

The girl shrugged. "Sure."

Wikus sagged with relief. Oh, thank you! Please, tell my little angel that I love her and miss her and…

"…misses you and wants nothing more than to be back in your arms," she finished. "But because of everything that's gone on, he doesn't dare return until he's… fixed."

"Oh, Kahlee," Tania said with eyes rimmed with tears. "That is so sweet."

"I thought so too."

The two women were seated in the Van der Merwe's backyard, watching the sun set over the newly-cleared city skyline.

"He's certain he can… get fixed?" Tania asked hesitantly.

"He seemed quite convinced, just as he seemed quite convinced of all the other things I told you," Kahlee told the older woman.

"You're certain it was him?"

"His eyes were the same. A bit bigger, but yeah, it was him all right, I recognized his eyes."

There was a moment of silence as they watched the last of the sun's rays dip below the horizon.

"So I have to wait three years?" Tania asked.

"That's what he claims. Although I have no idea how he can go from… what he is now, to being normal again. Although I don't see how he could have 'changed' in the first place."

"Well," Tania mused, "I'm sure the prawns have more advanced medical knowledge than we do, as well as better technology, otherwise MNU wouldn't be all over them the way you tell me they are…"

"And worse," Kahlee added. "He was quite adamant – no, more distraught – over what he says he's seen and done…"

"Can you take me to him?" Tania asked. "I'm almost afraid to see him, but…"

Kahlee didn't answer. Not right away. "I don't see why not, but I don't see _how_," she said at last. "He said that they were all but prisoners in D10. They could only leave to go to work and come back, and then again on special transport that came and went only at certain times of day. At least, that's what I think he said…"

"It's okay, Kahlee," Tania told her. "Just knowing he knows he can cure himself and come back to me is pearls beyond price."

"You're welcome." They sat in silence for several minutes as the first of the stars began to shine brightly down on the city.

"I should get back," Kahlee said. "I've got stuff to do, and I'm getting tired."

"Well, thank you for coming by," Tania told the girl. "Any news from dear Wikus is welcome. And you'll let me know if he can see me?"

"I can't promise anything, but we'll see," she replied, standing up and stretching. "Have a good night, Tania."

"You too, Kahlee. Good luck with your schooling."


	3. Chapter 3

ACK! JKNBFGOUIAEHRGHKFEK I'm clearly obsessed with the Poleepkwa, I can't stop thinking about them. OF course, people wanting to read more, and my mind wanting to explore a bit of what happens after CJ leaves… well, here's the result. *facepalm* I need a life…

Wikus and Kisa snuck under the fence to District 10 under cover of darkness. Evading the guard tower's roving searchlights, the pair of prawns darted from tent to tent, staying under cover of the shadows ass much as possible.

When they arrived at the tent assigned to Kisa, they found Darren and Anthony already there, in the process of sorting out what little she bothered to keep.

"You're back," Darren clicked happily, putting down a box and stepping towards Kisa for a hug. Returning it quickly, almost embarrassingly, Kisa looked over what the two big, burly prawns had done – they had set up a pair of shelves they had assembled using slabs of wood they had found lying around, and were loading food and stuffs on them.

"We heard back from the Nigerians," Anthony said. He picked up a small stack of papers that had been left at the end of the shelf, and handed it to Wikus. "Your identification."

Wikus looked it over, a forlorn expression on his features. "My name is Warren Jameson," he noted.

"It's the best they would do," Darren added. "Paying him to make an ID for you and hack into MNU's database to add it cleaned us both out almost completely. If we don't get an advance on our pays-"

"-you may be seeing more of both of us," Anthony finished.

Wikus and Kisa looked confused.

"We may have to move in with you," Darren finished. "I was already hoping to do so anyway…"

Anthony, kisa and Wikus all chuckled; a fighter for one of the Nigerian gangs until he was able to escape, the big prawn was as gentle as a sprawnling around Kisa… except when she was feeling threatened; he was very protective of her. Though he thought he hid it, they could all plainly see he had strong feelings for the Ice Walker.

Kisa waved a hand dismissively. "It's getting late," she noted. "You two need to get your sleep. You both work tomorrow in that factory, don't you?"

Darren stopped what he was doing and hunkered down on his haunches. "Aww," he whined. "But you're back, and we would have liked to play."

"Speak for yourself," Wikus countered. "We had to not only find our way _back_ from Johannesburg – on foot, and without getting spotted - but also sneak back into the camp without getting shot. I'm ready for some sleep."

"We've prepared… a nesting area, of sorts, over there," Anthony gestured past a rickety-looking table at the corner of the tent. The Ice Walker and Grasslander wearily sauntered over in the indicated direction, seeing a small hole had been dug and lined with cardboard & old blankets.

"Oh wow, that looks amazing," Kisa gurgled with weary joy. Without another word she stripped out of the rags that hung from her, dropped down into the nest and curled up into a ball. Wikus felt a familiar yet alien feeling creep up inside him as the three other prawns stood awkwardly in the impromptu doorway while she clicked with delight. Darren stepped past Wikus and squatted down beside her.

"Dug it myself, and arranged it just the way you like it," the big prawn chirped.

"It's very comfortable," she replied, and stroked the stop of his head with one hand.

He waved his antennae at her, and purred.

"Right, well," Anthony said suddenly, "I need to get going."

"You can stay if you want," Kisa told him. "I don't want you getting hurt just trying to get back to your tent. We _all_ know how trigger-happy the guards can be."

Though he put on a shbow of being disappointed, Wikus could clearly tell the other prawn wasa quite relieved, and more than a little pleased, based on the gleam in his eye.

"At least they were kind enough to set us up with a power outlet," Anthony said as he dropped down on a decrepit-looking sofa across from the nest.

Wikus stood silhouetted in the entrance, backlit by a lamp in the main room.

"You prawns really look out for each other," he said.

"_We_ prawns, Wikus," Kisa told him. "Until Christopher can return and… make you better – assuming there's any human DNA for the equipment to make use of – you're one of us now. I hope you will remember this lesson life has taught you?"

Wikus felt every word batter him as if she were driving them into his head with a sledgehammer, and he visibly recoiled. "Yes, I will," he agreed. "I'll never think lowly of your – excuse me – our people again."

"Good," she giggled as Darren fell on top of her. "Now come here and lie down, you need your sleep too." She pushed Darren off of her with a grunt of effort. "Seeing ass you're so full of energy, go get me something to heat," she commanded the burly alien.

He watched forlornly as he stood, to see Wikus ease himself to a horizontal position next to her. He couldn't help but cringe slightly as she cozied up to him.

"You should really get rid of those pants," Darren noted as she stood up, working to hide a hurt. "You've had them since Christopher left; it's been almost a month now and they will serve to make you that much more noticeable when MNU makes their sweeps, looking for the 'half-breed freak'."

"Oh, shut up," Wikus shot back. "They're comfortable. Sort of."

"Come on, Darren," Anthony chirped. "Leave him alone."

"All I'm saying is I don't want anything bad to happen to us because of him."

"Darren, look at what my people do to you!" Wikus exclaimed. "You – we – are cattle to them."

"If you two want to argue," Kisaa interrupted. "Do it outside." She grabbed a handful of old blanket and wrapped herself up in it.

"I'll try and find something to eat," Wikus announced, standing up. He grabbed Darren by the wrist and led him out of the tent.

"What's your fookin' problem?!" Wikus demanded in hushed tones.

"You are," Darren growled, taking a threatening step forward. "You belittle us, treat us like animals, deny us such basic rights as food and indoor plumbing, you almost cost us our last hope of salvation and escape from your world, yet suddenly you undergo the Change and we are supposed to welcome you with open arms?! I don't think so."

Wikus pushed the other prawn back, pointing a tentacle finger at the other prawn's face. "I didn't _ask_ for any of this to happen," he hissed angrily. "If Christopher hadn't hidden me, taken me in, I'd be _dead, _and humans would be that much closer to unlocking your weapons and technology. What the hell do you think will happen then when the government and MNU no longer has a use for you?"

The burly prawn had no answer.

"And why do you think so many of your people mysteriously go 'missing'?" the smaller Grasslander continued, pressing on. "MNU captures them and cuts them into pieces, trying to find the right combination, the right genetic key, I don't know, so that we – or rather, they – can use your weapons and wipe you all out! And I am the KEY!"

There was a sudden burst of gunfire and distant voices shouting, and both prawns dropped flat. Realizing the gunfire was aimed away from them, they slowly rose on all fours.

"I don't know the relationship between Kisa and Christopher," Wikus finished, "but she found me and told me he had asked her to look after me until he returned. As I can hardly show my face outside of here without getting killed, despite my burning need to return to my WIFE, my life – all our lives – depend on my staying hidden as long as possible."

"I can solve our problems right now," Darren replied in a nasty tone, and Wikus' antennae drooped.

"Never forget who the better one for her is," he muttered, before turning and stalking back inside.

Wikus stayed outside for several moments, seeing the big prawn's shadow walk up to the light and turn it off, plunging the interior into complete darkness.

"Asshole," Wikus mumbled as he heard crumpling of cardboard and scratching footsteps. He stared at the wooden doorframe for long seconds before stepping towards it, but paused when he saw a battered black prawn crawling on the ground just around the tent corner.

Inside, he could hear Darren feeding strips of cat food to Kisa, who was purring delightfully.

Wikus stared at the inkured prawn, and a dozen arguments against helping the injured prawn flowed through his mind as he stepped towards the door. He stopped when he saw the trail of dark blood that vanished down the rows of tents.

The prawn looked at him, one tendril shot off and bleeding profusely. "Help," he croaked, reaching out with one trembling hand.

For the briefest of moments Wikus paused, and then remembered his own plight when MNU were after him; realizing he had come full circle, he grabbed the outstretched hand and pulled the injured prawn into the utterdark of the tent.

"Kisa! Darren, Anthony, wake up!" he clicked sharply. There was the sound of stumbling in the dark, and then Kisa, followed closely by Anthony emerged. They turned on the single light and looked at their newest house guest.

"I recognize him," Wikus exclaimed. "He was one of the prawns that killed fookin' Colonel Venter."

"I do as well," Kisa grumbled. "This is Jack. Or as we 'pacifist cowards' like to call him, 'Black Jack.'"

"Why?" Wikus asked.

"Most of the troubles caused by our people on human societies were wrought by troublemakers like him," Anthony explained in a hostile tone. "He is a soldier, and violence is a part of life for him."

"Not anymore," Jack clicked faintly. "The… the others, and the humans…"

"What of them?" Darren said, stepping into the circle around the black prawn.

"…Dead by now…"

Kisa stepped over him and hoisted him to a sitting position; Jack winced in pain at the movement. "_Who_ is dead?!" she demanded, but it was no use. Jack's head rolled off to the side as he finally lost consciousness.

Wikus took a closer look at Jack's head. "So this is the sneaky fooker who caused so much mischief, eh? Why isn't he labeled?" he asked, indicating the worn barcoded sticker every prawn was supposed to have, as an additional form of ID.

"He doesn't have one because he was never caught," Kisa said. "Why don't you think you have one?"

"Because if they find out who I really am I'm dead?"

"Precisely."

"Should we turn him in?"

Without a second thought, the pale prawn rose and smacked Wikus upside the head, knocking him over. He managed to stop himself from falling to the floor; he glared at her with an expression of mixed shock and anger. "What the hell was that for?!"

"You still cling to your feeble, pathetic human notions of honor and duty," she spat. "You ought to know by now that there is very little for our people here, except for each other. Is it not a human saying that goes if you don't hang together, you'll hang separately?"

Had Wikus still had fleshy cheeks, he would have turned beet red. Instead, he mumbled an apology and sank to the floor. He couldn't bring himself to help as Kisa and Anthony busied themselves with tending to Black Jack. Darren, for his part, came over and sat on the ground next to Wikus.

"Hungry?" he asked, and handed him a can of cat food.

Wikus silently took the can from him, cracking it open and slipping a clawful into his mouth. He tensed when Darren leaned back and poked the small of his back, just below his hipbone.

"Kisa, come look at this," he said.

Arms tangled in a bandage, she stepped towards the two bigger prawns and looked at Wikus' back.

"See it? See?" Darren exclaimed.

She was silent for several moments, then gasped. "I do – or, I should say I _don't_."

Wikus turned around, trying to see what the other two were looking at. "What? What?!"

"You're… male… only," Kisa said slowly.

"Is that so strange?" he stood and stalked across the tent, keeping his back out of their line of sight.

"Well, you know we're all, you know, self-sufficient in regards to reproduction, right?" she asked.

"Well, yes…"

She stepped towards him. "Well, you see, while most tend to certainly think of themselves as one or the other," she explained, "You can't make the same claim." She twitched her mandibles, thinking.

"Where are we going to put this one?" Anthony asked nodding towards Jack. "There's already only so much room in the nest, and I'm sure you don't want him there with… with you."

"Put him on the couch, then, if you want, you can join us in the nest or go back home," Kisa replied. "Damn. Now we have to be doubly sure nobody gets a close look at you."

Understanding dawned in Wikus' tired yes. "I'll go find a belt, or rope, or _something_ tomorrow morning," he said. "To better try and hide my… lack of femininity." He shuddered, and Kisa gurgled with laughter.

"You're so funny," she clicked, "even if, at heart, you're human, and out to get us prawns, you can be all right, Wikus. Or, I suppose I should start getting used to calling you Warren."

Anthony returned from the other room, having dragged Jack over to the couch and hoisted him on to it.

"I'll be going now," he mumbled, stepping between them and towards the door.

Kisa grabbed his arm and spun him around, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you for your help," she clicked, relaxing in the taller prawn's arms. He stroked her head soothingly, before pulling away and silently ducking out.

"Where does he live now?" Darren asked. "Is he still close, like before we were relocated?"

"No," Kisa chirped, and there was real sorrow in her voice. "He used to alternate between him and another Waver's shack, and a young woman's house not very far from D9. I think her name was Courtney? She was one of the few humans who looked at us as equals. I miss her."

"Right, well, I'm exhausted," Wikus said, backing towards the nest. Without another word he dropped down and disappeared out of sight.

Kisa and Darren looked at each other. "Do you want to stay?" she asked, and he nodded. "I'll protect you from anyone who tries to get to you tonight," he chirped contentedly.

She shook her head and padded towards the nest, turning out the light as she went by and collapsed next to Wikus. He tried to squirm away from her, but she draped an arm across his chest and pinned him in place. "Relax," she commanded. "I'm not going to hurt you. Christopher asked me to take care of you until he returned, and that's precisely what I'm going to try to do." With that, she lowered her head to his chest and shut her eyes, relaxing and enjoying how close he was.

Darren stood in the doorway for several long moments before approaching Kisa. He sat down behind her and was about to lie down when she batted him away with her other arm. Swallowing a mournful chirp, he draped a blanket over the two of them before dropping himself onto a chair on the far side of the room. He angled it so he could keep an eye on both Jack and the other two as they slept, before drifting off, himself…


	4. Chapter 4

Wikus awoke suddenly to wan sunlight shining through the thin walls of the tent. He looked over to see Jack splayed out on the couch across from his feet, and Kisa still sleeping next to him, her arm and cheek resting on his shoulder.

He shuffled out from the nest and stepped into the chill morning air, and felt his stomach growl. He looked through their limited supply of food and found a can of beef stew. He pulled out a knife and began working the release, trying to open it, muttering at himself in frustration.

"Would you like some help?"

Wikus jumped and almost hit his head off of one of the roof struts at Darren's comment.

"Sorry if I startled you."

Wikus – who was trying to get used to be called Warren – flung the knife aside in anger before handing the can to the bigger prawn.

"Did you stay there all night?" Wikus/Warren asked, as Darren flexed his claws around the top of the can, popping the lid off with ease. He handed it back, and Warren took it and began eating.

Behind them, someone stirred. Darren looked over as Jack shifted in his sleep.

"Did you sleep well?" they both asked at the same time, and Warren nodded. "More or less."

"I did," Darren said. "This chair is so much more comfortable than the last home I had."

"Where were you before?" Warren inquired.

The big prawn reclined his head on the torn headrest. "I was what you humans might call a pit fighter," he began. "One of the Nigerian gangs 'owned' me, and had me facing off against other gangs' pit fighters for money and sport."

"I remember seeing some of those," Warren said. "Was always interesting to watch your kind beat each other senseless." The look of anger that crossed Darren's expression prompted Warren to add hastily, "Emphasis on _was_ interesting."

Darren nodded approval. "They kept me leashed and caged most of the time, and I slept on a mattress frame with boxes and old books spread across it. Not comfortable at all, especially after fights."

Suddenly thirsty, Warren reached for a bottle of water and drank half of it before offering the rest to Darren, who finished it off.

"Sounds like a rough life," Warren clicked.

"You were human," Darren retorted. "Compared to us, you live in absolute luxury. More than a few of us are angered about that."

"There are humans that live in slums too, you know," Warren said. "They're scattered all over the planet."

"Really? I didn't know that."

Warren finished his breakfast just as Kisa stepped into the light.

"Good morning," both males clicked in unison.

Kisa stepped towards Warren and gave him a hug and peck on the cheek, drawing her tendrils slowly down the side of his head, antennae resting atop his skull. Conflicting emotions warred within him and he drew back just as Darren stood.

"I've got to go," the big prawn announced, and disappeared out the door before anyone could really notice the sudden hurt in his eyes.

"I think he likes you," Warren clicked.

"Of course he does," Kisa clicked back, "That much is apparent. But he's a brute, and has lived a brute's life until I helped him escape. I think the Nigerians who captured me wanted him to pass along his genes or something, I remember overhearing them talking."

Warren's antennae dipped slightly. "That's not fair."

She hugged him again. "No it isn't. But then again, if he likes me, he won't hurt me." Her hands dropped to his hipbone and she pulled them together.

"Kisa," Warren chirped, "Please… let me go."

She released him, a look of concern in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

He took a step back, away from her. "I'm married," he said. "I… I'm sorry, but I just can't… I'm not comfortable with… with being intimate in any way with anyone else. I don't want to get too close to anyone, as…"

She visibly drooped, as if a great weight had settled on her shoulders.

"I don't want to cheat!" he finished. "I still very much love and miss my Tania…"

"Wikus…" she clicked softly. "Excuse me. Warren. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but your human mate is lost to you until you're human again. You might say that it's cheating if a human goes to another human behind their mate's back, but that can scarcely be said of you now, can it?"

"That's beside the point!" Warren shouted in frustration, and Kisa shrank back. "What matters is that I would know that I'd been unfaithful, and it would utterly consume me and destroy what I am, what I believe in!"

"I have to go," Kisa announced, straightening and wrapping a loose piece of cloth across herself before heading for the door, not meeting his gaze. "I'm going to and scrounge for some more supplies. Take care of Jack in the meantime." She shoved the door open and almost ran into Anthony. She swerved out of his way and was gone.

"What did you say to her?" The other prawn asked as he stepped inside.

"Nothing!" Warren clicked in confusion. "She was all over me and I asked her to lay off, as I'll one day be reunited with my wife."

"Oh, you flaming idiot," Anthony scoffed angrily. "Don't you know she has feelings for you?"

"What, you mean like the way Darren has feelings for her?"

Anthony nodded vigorously. "She feels safe around you for the first time since her mentor Ashfoot died."

Warren felt horrible, as if he had just crushed something extremely precious and fragile. He slowly sank to the floor and leaned against the shelf for support.

"Don't worry, she'll still feed and clothe you, she promised Christopher," he said. "But do remember that she didn't have to. Neither did Chris, if he hadn't – if you hadn't – made off with our salvation."

_If only I hadn't touched that infernal tube_, he thought woefully. _I wouldn't be in this mess right now…_

The sound of scuffling feet outside made them both stop speaking as they listened intently. There wasa the sound of a body hitting the ground, and a metallic object falling with it. Anthony scampered out and discovered a chocolate-brown prawn – with Eleanor stenciled along the top of her ID – having collapsed from starvation just outside. Beside her lay a machete.

"Hey, Warren, is there any leftover food inside?" Anthony asked.

Warren looked around the shelves. "Just a box of frozen fish," came the reply.

"Bring it out here."

Warren complied, and they slowly fed the starved prawn.

"Why?" Eleanor clicked softly after a few bites.

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because," Warren answered, "If we don't all hang together, we'll all hang separately."

"Then why is… is… why do others steal from me?" she clicked, her tone weak.

"Not everyone is as enlightened as us," Anthony told her. "Eat."

"Why would anyone steal from you?" Warren inquired. "You've got that big knife."

She tried to reply but was too weak. Warren guessed others stole and victimized her because she didn't try to stand up for herself.

Much like he thought the prawns did, themselves, until recently. He shook his head, antennae waving in the rising sun.

Eleanor finished eating and stood up. "If you need anything, anything at all," he told her, "Come by this way and find one of us. My name is Anthony, and this is – this is Warren."

"Anthony. Warren." She looked at them both in turn, gratitude flickering behind her eyes like a candle, behind the iron mask she kept herself locked up in. She nodded once, then picked up her machete and started walking.

"I have to go to work," Anthony clicked. "If I don't, or miss the shuttle run, I imagine the consequences would be… rather unpleasant."

"Go on, get going," Warren waved dismissively. "I've got our new best friend inside to babysit."

"I'll come back later," Anthony tossed over his shoulder as he broke out into a run and disappeared from view.

With a sigh, Warren turned and made his way back inside the tent he shared with Kisa… at her insistence. Angry thoughts over his entire present state of affairs drove him to slam a fist into the nearest shelf, making the small collection of junk leap and bob around. He noticed Jack stirring and made his way over to him.

"And how are you feeling today?" Warren asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Got what you deserved, maybe?"

"…water…" Jack chirped in a tiny voice.

Stifling an angry remark, Warren dug out another bottle of Kisa's water and gave it to him. Jack peeled off the lid and began taking gulps of the life-restoring liquid. He slowly eased himself to a sitting position.

"What are these?" he asked, pulling a deck of cards out from under the cushion he was lying on.

"That's a deck of cards," Warren said. "Didn't you know that?"

"I'm… I mean, I was… a soldier," Jack clicked, placing one hand on his chest and on the gauze that they had wrapped about his chipped and dented chest plates. "I don't think about much else. But I don't think I'm much use to anybody now."

Warren folded his arms across his chest. "From your reputation," he growled, "I'd expect to be able to take you out of the military, but not the military out of you. You have the look and build of a killer."

Jack pulled out the deck of cards from the box, and began looking at each card in turn. "I know. What do these symbols mean?"

"They're used in games humans play," Warren replied.

Jack looked up. "How do you know?"

Warren leaned forward and their eyes were inches apart. "Because," he said softly, "I used to _be _one."

Recognition lit up the black prawn's features. "You're that hybrid we saved?"

Warren chuckled and pointed at his prawn appendages. "Who's the hybrid?"

"Wow. I've never heard of one of you disgusting humans going through the Change. I didn't think it was possible."

"Watch yourself," Warren shot back. "You may know who I am, but I'm also sure the authorities would like to get their hands on you, from what you're guilty of."

"I'm trying to leave that life behind," Jack said forlornly. "It's done me more harm than good for the last time."

"I don't believe that for an instant, but as I've been placed in charge of you for the time being, we should get you cleaned up."

Several hours later, Jack had been cleaned up and fresh bandages applied to his wounds; his face had at least stopped bleeding during the night, but working the dried blood off had been quite a challenge. It was during this time that Warren learned that while prawns were, in fact, _functionally_ bi-gendered, the majority tended to swing in one direction or another.

Just like Kisa had told him last night. That he had none of the other side's' plumbing' would make him more noticeable.

When Kisa returned, a bundle of supplies in an old laundry basket under one arm and what looked like a broken stereo under the other, they were talking about Christopher, with Jack describing the Seven Queens' probable reaction and end-result.

"…do you really think they would invade?" Warren was asking.

"I don't see why they wouldn't," the black prawn replied. "They'll show up and demand those responsible. Failure for the human governments to act would have them drown the human species under an army of Poleepkwa troops, assuming they simply didn't just destroy all cities from orbit."

The door opened, and Kisa struggled inside with her heavy load.

"Hi," Warren said, trying to put as much joy as he could into the simple word. He rose to help her, catching the stereo as it slipped and fell.

"Where did you find this thing?" he asked, looking it over.

"MNU wouldn't let me take much of my belongings when we were evicted," she chirped, not meeting his gaze. "I want to listen to the news again. Can you… help me fix it?"

"I'd be more than happy to," he replied, setting it down on the ground and helping her unpack what she'd acquired; a few cans of food, soup, some fish, and more first aid equipment, including disinfectant gel.

"What was that about destroying human cities from orbit?" she asked.

"I was…" Jack coughed, "telling Warren what I think will probably be the Seven Queens' reaction when they hear of our plight on this world."

"They won't just destroy humans out of hand," Kisa mused. "They'll demand that those responsible face justice."

"I can understand that, but where does it end?" Warren said excitedly, mandibles clacking. "MNU was contracted on by the government, at the insistence of the people, when _your_ people began rioting and causing mayhem throughout the city."

Kisa looked angry, Jack… remorseful.

"Oh, I know _now_ that it was only a few individuals," he continued, before Kisa could hiss an angry retort. "But you gotta admit, you all kind of look alike, aside from… plate coloration. So what will they do? Blow up the entire fookin' city?"

They had no answer.

"One way or another," Kisa noted, "We will all find out in three years."

It was late evening when Anthony and Darren arrived; Warren had spent the entire evening tinkering with the radio and teaching the light and dark prawns how to play cards. They were in the middle of a hand of crazy eights, with the Grasslander up to his elbows in the radio's innards when they came in and sat down.

"…that should do it," Warren muttered, and replaced the back panel, screwing it into place and plugging it in. To his relief, there was no popping, fizzling, or other sounds fried electronics made. Raising the antenna, he turned on the radio, and was surprisingly relieved to hear static come out of the speakers.

"You did it!" Kisa gurgled contentedly.

"That I did," Warren clicked, playing with the knob, trying to find a radio station in range. After a few moments, the unit picked up some local dance band, and Warren worked to find the exact spot with best reception.

_…No I don't know how I got here, but I know I'm missing you  
And I know the day is coming when I'll be back inside your arms  
but as much as I believe it that day seems so far…_

Warren recoiled as if struck as recognition – and the import of the lyrics – registered. He sniffed sadly, fighting back tears.

Kisa and Jack must have sensed the sudden change in his mood when he didn't move, for she came over and draped an arm over his shoulder.

"What is it?" she clicked softly.

_So I kiss the sky goodbye, and pretend I'm by your side_

_And in this dark I'll feel your light_

_I was loved, I am loved, I'll be loved… I'll kiss the sky…_

"This is _Kiss the Sky_," he clicked as the chorus played. "We danced to this at my wedding, me and Tania…"

"It was very emotional for you, wasn't it," she said, stroking his head.

Anthony and Darren were ignoring them… mostly. They were listening to Jack as he explained the rules of crazy eights.

Warren nodded once.

"Dance to it," Kisa told him, and he looked into her eyes. "I've seen and heard of dancing, but have never actually seen it myself."

"I'm not putting on a fookin' show for you," he growled more savagely than he intended, grasping her hand when she pulled it away…

Tania was washing dishes with the radio playing when _Kiss the Sky_ began to play. A wave of emotion hit her, and she felt herself beginning to well up, but fought the tears back down. She turned out the main light, plunging the kitchen into semi-darkness, lit only by the light above the sink, and recalled their wedding night.

It was so clear in her mind… the swaying lights, the semi-darkness, and the music. The dance floor was mostly empty, and he pulled her close. There were no worries, no fears, no secrets and no hiding from their shared passion.

She looked into his eyes and forgot that he was gone…

_Everytime the wind blows, I hear it call your name  
and even in the darkness I can see your face.  
Every second brings my freedom much closer into view.  
So the ocean will not hold me… and I'll be one with you._

She found herself slowly spinning, swaying to the rhythm. Lost in Wikus' arms, she buried her face in his chest and swam, _swam_ in the energy of the crowd, savoring the moment so it would last forever…

…in a shack in District 10, Wikus/Warren was openly weeping now, eyes closed, as he swayed in time to the music, ignoring the others as his mind brought his wedding night back with crystal clarity. He remembered how she had cuddled up to him even as they danced, swaying slowly, letting nothing interfere with the moment, inscribing it into their memories so it would last a thousand years.

_So I kiss the sky goodbye, and pretend I'm by your side_

_And in this dark I'll feel your light_

_I'll be loved, I'll be loved, I'll be loved… I'll kiss the sky…_

He pictured himself walking up his driveway and her seeing him coming, throwing open the front door and tackling him with delight, tears of joy streaming down her angelic face. He pictured Piet, the backstabbing bastard that he was, shaking his hand, grateful that the whole unpleasant ordeal was over with, and welcoming him back into his life without any doubts or fears at all.

Kisa stood back and watched Warren move. She found herself trying to emulate him, hips bobbing to the beat.

_So that is dancing,_ she thought. _I'd like to try it. But will he let me…?_ Deciding the worst that could happen is he'd push her away, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. To her surprise, he reciprocated, pulling her close, and he purred contentedly.

_I kiss the sky goodbye, and pretend I'm by your side_

_And in this dark I'll feel the light_

_I'll be loved, I'll be loved, I'll be loved… I'll kiss the sky…_

He pressed her close, as if so engrossed by the moment he had completely forgotten where he was. Which was fine to her, for she was finally being held in his arms, and there were no qualms, no second thoughts on his features at all as he wept for the life he had lost.

She stifled a purr of her own, not wanting to interrupt his dream, the rhythm of the moment, and his hands dropped to her hips. She allowed him to guide her motions, and they began grinding just as the song began to wind itself to a close. When it ended, he was trembling as if in pain. She pulled him even closer, and sensed more than smelled the hormones that were coursing though him.

Kisa was suddenly fearful – yet at the same time, wasn't at all afraid, wanting nothing more than to see Warren happy. If he was becoming… aroused… then that would please _her_, and in more than a few ways.

Being what they were, that was no small task. To see the bliss intermixed with such powerful grief awed her…

The song came to an end, and Tania found herself sobbing. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that, somewhere out there, her Wikus was out there, yearning to be reunited with her, having just heard the same song, felt the same feelings, thought the same thoughts…

_Oh, Wikus… I love you…_

Shaking her head as if the action would clear it of what was passing through it; she blew her nose, wiped her eyes and returned to her housework…

"Thank you," Warren clicked softly to Kisa as the announcer came on, announcing the last several songs that had played.

"Are you okay?" Anthony clicked; the two turned around and saw the other three staring at them.

Warren and Kisa looked at each other.

"I'm going for a walk," Warren chirped, "Before the sun goes down."

"I'll come with you-" Kisa said.

"No," he said sternly. "I need to be alone for a little bit, figure a few things out." Her expression fell slightly, but perked back up when he told her he wouldn't be going far. Without another word, he ducked out the door and vanished.

She sighed, turning and rejoining the others at the rickety table they were playing cards on.

"So what's the suit?" she clicked, and they resumed playing…


	5. Chapter 5

Warren made his way past rows and rows of white tents, eventually finding himself at the edge of District 10, and looked out at the fields surrounding the area with a longing expression.

"Life is so unfair," he clicked softly, as he sank to his haunches, watching the fading twilight finally transmute to complete night, sad in the knowledge that he would never again be able to roam free among them.

There were the sound of footsteps behind him, and he whirled around to see Eleanor, the mottled brown prawn from earlier, complete with glinting steel machete, walking in his general direction. She paused when he turned, suddenly averse to approaching him while he bristled angrily.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," she mumbled and began walking away quickly.

"Why do you carry that machete if you're afraid to use it?" he called after her.

She slowed, then stopped. "It makes me feel safe," she replied after a few moments.

"A deterrent? A deterrent is only effective if you have the will to use it."

She spun to face him. "Shut up!" she cried. "You have no idea who I am, or what I've been through!" She ran off.

He felt bad for having hurt her, but shrugged it off. He turned around and stared at the grassy fields beyond the fenced courtyard, faintly glowing silver in the moonlight. With all his might he wished he was elsewhere… roaming the countryside, Tania at his side, and wishing that it would all return to normal…

Warren was jolted out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Darren towering over him.

"What do you want?" he asked tiredly.

"The others were getting worried," Darren clicked back. "I offered to go looking for you, as I can run faster than anyone else."

"How thoughtful of you."

There was a moment of silence between the two prawns. "Kisa likes you, you know," Darren clicked.

Warren looked at him in surprise. "What?!"

"I said-"

"I heard what you said," Warren said, annoyance creeping into his voice. "Sheesh, What is it with you prawns, eh?"

Darren drew back, insulted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What is it with you prawns? Why do you do some of the crap you do? Kisa likes me. I assume she wants to take me to bed? Screw me until we both bleed?"

"What is it with you _humans_-" Darren leaned forward menacingly, "and having everything revolve around breeding?!"

"Get away from me," Warren clicked, turning around to look back out at the fields of grass. A sharp kick sent him rebounding off the fence to slam into the ground. He spun around and jumped back up, slashing the air with his clawed, three-fingered hands.

Darren stood back, arms crossed, looking as if he hadn't moved. "You don't want to fight me," he advised. "You'll lose."

With a roar in challenge, Warren leaped, crossing the five feet between them and slamming into the bigger prawn's chest plates; they both fell and landed in a pile of thrashing limbs. Warren landed several solid blows before Darren simply flipped over and pinned him to the ground. Their eyes locked, and Darren intensified his grip. Warren cried out in pain as his arm – the one he had removed a finger from – spasmed involuntarily.

"I don't know what she sees in you," Darren hissed, lowering his head until their faces were inches apart. "You are arrogant, rude, and ungrateful. You have the capacity to be cruel, although that has been scarce since you underwent the Change."

"Yeah, the Change," Warren growled back, but stopped speaking when the pointed tip of Darren's other hand scratched the soft flesh of his throat.

"If she feels lonely, she should really find herself someone who will remain at her side," Darren continued.

"I'm not going _any-_"

"Oh yes you are," Darren interrupted. "What do you think Christopher is going to do when he returns? He promised you to make you human again. And when that happens, you will leave, and return to your mate, and forget all about the Poleepkwa and the violations of sentient rights inflicted on us every day by your kind." He sat back as a sudden thought hit him. "Or will they even let you come back? If what Kisa and the others told me of MNU's experiments are true, they may still kill you, believing you still hold in your genetic makeup the key to unlocking our kind's technology." He released the smaller Grasslander and stood in one smooth motion.

"I hope your kind never discovers the means to travel among the stars," Darren scoffed. "With your unchecked passions and emotions, you would either destroy yourselves – and anyone & everything caught in the way – or force the galaxy's other inhabitants to do it for you. And I just hope I live long enough to see it never happens."

"You go to hell," Warren snapped.

"This _is_ hell," Darren shot back, gesturing around them. "Welcome to District 10. The personal damnation for all nonhumans who ever come to Earth."

Warren struggled to come up with a retort, but couldn't. "Not so fast," he clicked at last. "Do you remember when your people first came to Earth? We fed you. Clothed you. Protected you, and gave you a sense of identity. Made you feel welcome in our home. But it was _your_ people who began causing mischief, leading all of us down the slippery slope we fell down, until we all landed _here._" Warren gestured at the rows of tents behind them. "This is all _your_ people's doing!"

"I'm not going to argue with you," Darren clicked, turning and starting to walk. "Kisa likes you, and I like Kisa; anything that brings her joy makes me happy. I just want you to know – get used to your present state of being; you will likely be safer being one of us for the rest of your life."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Warren to stew on what he knew, deep down, to be the truth.

The car pulled into the driveway and came to stop.

"Now you remember, Tania," Ellen said, "If you ever need anything, you give me or any one of the other girls a call, okay?"

"Thank you, Ellen," Tania replied as she stepped out of the car. "I'll remember that."

"If Wikus can come back, he will."

"I know! It's just maddening not knowing how or when."

"I'm sure there's a reason he's staying away, and not just because he would get shot on sight if he showed up around here. So relax, girl! He'll be with you soon."

"I know that, but still, I can't help but wonder what life he might expect when he gets back."

Ellen put the car in park. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Think about it, Ellen," Tania said, even as she fought back a surge of emotion. "MNU destroyed his credibility by portraying him as someone who has sex with… with _them_. Should he return, what kind of life can he expect to have? Everyone will see him – see _us_ – and immediately think of the aliens. I can barely go to the corner store without someone giving me a disgusted look."

Ellen shook her head. "Siddown, girl."

Tania complied meekly, sitting back down in the car.

"I know Wikus to be a good, honorable man," Ellen began, shifting into lecture mode. "I know how he feels about you, and I've seen the way he looks at you. And nothing will change that for him."

Tania was clearly fighting back strong emotions. "It's not him I'm worried about," she whispered. "It's… Piet, and the MNU."

"I'm just a schoolteacher," Ellen replied. "I don't know much about MNU – or at least, I didn't know much, until that scandal made headlines last week. The experimentation on nonhumans and all that." She shook her head. "Still making headlines; media's having a damn field day with that. Terrible to think that as a people we think of ourselves as so much better than the prawns, with their savage natures, borderline intellect and questionable ethics, and yet we find out we're doing things to them almost to get even. Reprehensible."

Tania nodded. "Unforgivable. We're little better than they are."

"Everything will be all right," Ellen soothed. "Everything will work out."

"That's precisely what I'm worrying about, though I can't help it!" Tania cried. "I keep hoping and praying and believing with all my heart that things will 'work out', but after hearing about the experiments… what if they capture him and take him apart regardless?"

"Now you're just setting yourself up for disappointment, girl," Ellen admonished. "Cross that bridge when you get to it. In the meantime, remember the last thing he said to you: he loves you."

At that, Tania seemed to perk up. "Thank you, Ellen," she said. "I feel much better now."

"It's what I'm here for, girl!" she exclaimed, and they exchanged goodbye and a hug.

_I wonder if I should try and see him,_ Tania thought as she made her way indoors. _Would I be able to handle it? Just seeing him alive would be wonderful, no matter what he looks like on the outside…_

Back in District 10, Wikus/Warren was having similar thoughts as he plodded along, making his way back to the tent. He stepped inside to see the others looking forlorn.

Except for Black Jack, who, despite his battered appearance, was clicking & chirping excitedly.

"What's going on?" Warren asked.

"Jack is very good at cards," Anthony scoffed. "Since a part of his 'enhancement' as a soldier includes a couple cybernetic computer implants, he can calculate odds very efficiently, among other things. Predictions and tactical strategies – it's almost like he doesn't know how to lose!"

"Hey," Jack replied. "I consider the beating I took escaping from that trap MNU set up for the Resistance a loss. Look at me!" he winced as he gestured at himself, and the cracked and dented plates along his torso.

"Be careful," Kisa admonished, "Or else you'll tear something loose."

"Kisa, can I talk to you for a minute?" Warren asked. Darren looked at him with a curious expression, one antenna cocked back.

"Sure," she replied cheerily, handing her cards to Darren, who rushed to fill her seat. The two prawns stepped outside and he led them a short distance away. She stood waiting while he struggled to find the right words to say how he felt.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

He stood there, struck silent, and looked into her big, round eyes. Without another word he wrapped her up in a big hug, holding her close.

"What's this for?!" she exclaimed, surprised.

"Thank you," he clicked softly. "For everything."

She wrapped her arms around him and lowered her head to his chest, listening intently for his heartbeat. She purred when she found it on his left side. "Christopher asked me to help you, if anything were to happen to him," she whispered. "And I agreed."

He lifted her head to look into her eyes. "That's my point," he chirped. "You didn't have to, and you did. After all I did – after everything humans did to you and your people – why would you agree to something like taking me in? The fear of being found out by those sadists ad MNU must have torn you to shreds inside."

"At the time," she said in the same tone, "Christopher and I had… an interest in each other. And I was the only other whom he trusted to care for Oliver while he was at work in the factory. He asked, and I agreed. Simple as that."

He pulled her close again. "When I get out of here – if I get out," he said, "I will never forget you."

She purred with contentment. "That's all I ask," she replied. "That and a little help with a few things here and there."

"Of course," he said, releasing her. "What did you want my help with?"

"Not here, and not now. Just… for some reason, when I am around you I feel safe."

Warren suddenly felt weirded out, but pushed the feeling aside. "I just wanted you to know that… I appreciate all you've done for me, despite the risk to all of us…"

"Oh, Warren," she purred. "I want you to want me, but know your heart belongs to another. And I know I can't help it, but it drives me crazy inside…"

"Well, Darren was kind enough to point out to me that I might be better off staying as I am now," Warren noted. "With the diplomacy and tact of a hammer to the face. And while I admit it's possible the MNU will still want to cut me into pieces for analysis after I… get back to being human again, to see if there's still anything left that can work Prawn technology… if I have to stay as a prawn, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be with." He gave her another hug, and ran his tendrils across the side of her face in an approximation of a peck to the cheek.

She gurgled ecstatically and suppressed a small shudder.

"We should get back," he muttered, turning away and walking back towards the tent. Kisa stood still for a handful of seconds, thoroughly engrossed in the memory of his arms wrapped around hers. She chirped as reality set back in, and she bounded back to him, and wrapped one arm around his.

"Hey Warren," Jack chirped, "What other card games do you know? Crazy Eights is getting old."

"I know a bit of poker and blackjack," Warren answered, "but we need something to wager with."

"What is wager?" the other prawns asked.

"You know, something you trade or bargain with,. Something you can exchange. Humans usually use money, but from the smug look Jack is wearing I don't think money is a good idea."

Jack chuckled, which turned into a hacking cough. Kisa sighed, but before she could move to attend to him, Anthony beat her to it.

"Lie down, let me look at you," he clicked as he stood.

"Don't touch me," Jack growled. "I'm fine."

"I doubt that," Anthony retorted.

"Jack, let him look," Kisa sighed. "It's not like he'll bite…"

Jack tensed suddenly, and Anthony froze.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Shut up!" Jack hissed. "Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?" they asked, and they all fell silent, listening intently. Muted by distance, they could hear what sounded like a cat giving birth, only the pitch was slightly off.

"I hear it," Darren whispered.

"That sounds horrific," Warren added. "What is that? Is someone getting mauled to death?"

"I… don't know," Kisa said in the same tone. "How can you hear that, Jack?"

The black prawn was silent for several moments. "Sensory booster," he answered shortly. "I can hear very well." There was another pause, followed by a louder scream.

"I think someone's taking someone apart," Jack exclaimed, standing up. He swayed dizzily for a moment before Anthony caught him.

"What are you doing?" Anthony hissed.

"I'm going to put a stop to it," he replied, and began to make his way to the door.

"You're not going anywhere," Darren growled, interposing his bulk between the soldier and the doorway.

"You can either come along to help or you can go and breed with yourself," Jack spat. "But either way, get out of my way." He stepped towards the taller prawn and stuck out his head in a challenge.

There were several moments of tense silence, broken only by heavy breathing and the cries of a distant being.

"Oh, relax," Warren clicked. "The hormones in here are bad enough as is without you two butting heads over who is alpha male."

"An interesting concept, an alpha male," Anthony added. "If you're serious about this, Jack, I'm coming too." He stepped forward and around Darren, who for a moment appeared ready to force the issue, but backed down when he noticed the only way to keep Jack from leaving was with violence.

He knew Kisa didn't want any of that to happen, and stepped aside, following the other two out.

"Be careful," Kisa called after them.

The Waver named Prue lay chained to the makeshift table, looking around fearfully. The Nigerian female's garments fell to the floor; the two humans with guns stood and watched eagerly as she began humming and chanting, her body shaking as she danced to a tune only she could hear.

_This is not like the last time,_ he thought worriedly. _Why can't they just ask for what they want… why must they _take _it?_

He began to voice his concerns, but one of the guards smashed the butt of his weapon across the young prawn's face, smashing one of his antennae. He mewled painfully.

"Stop it," the woman commanded, and the two men stood back and watched. "It won't respond if it is afraid." The woman started to stroke his bare legs, working upwards slowly, trying to elicit a response.

_Where is Anthony?_

"What do you want?" he clicked, addressing the dark skinned woman.

"I want what I've always wanted," she replied. "I want it all. I want _you_."

"You humans are strange," he chirped. "You could just ask for what you want, rather than just- _meeeeewww!!!!_" He cried out as she leaned forward and yanked on his other antennae.

"It's important you remember who is in charge, here," she told him. "Obesandjo pays very well for those willing to even lie with your wretched species. Something about hybrid offspring? I don't care, as long as I get paid."

"You are different from the last group," he whined. "They just brought someone in when they wanted to try and…" he stopped speaking when he saw the sudden fire in her eyes in the glow of the lantern, hanging in the corner.

"Better, little prawn," she said soothingly, crawling up and straddling his hips. "Now. Relax. I'm not going to hurt you… unless you don't cooperate." Her pendants tingled as she adjusted her long black hair.

He looked over at the guards, who were making their way out the hole cut in the side of the tent, chuckling to themselves.

"Hey, prawn," she said, "The guards are only here to ensure my protection." She leaned close, lying almost flat on him. "You have a name?" she whispered, licking his chest plates.

"Prue," he answered.

"Prue," she repeated. "I'm Sandra. And I'm going to make you the happiest prawn alive." She started licking him, and he shivered involuntarily. She chuckled happily before getting down to the real business of arousing a prawn.

He mewled plaintively, partially out of fear, partially out of desire, but mostly because even though he wanted to continue as he was, he didn't want to live that life anymore. His mind locked as she found the sweet spot, and he shivered as he felt the folds of his flesh parting for her…

"That's right, Prue," she cooed even as she groped him. "Let go. Let it happen…"

He shivered, and tensed his entire body as he felt his tip poking at her warm, moist entrance.

_Please no please stop please no stop please no stopping don't stop please don't stop…_

There was a shout of surprise from outside, followed by a crashing sound as one of the guards went flying across the tent, trailing a stream of blood. There was a wet _crack!_ and the other fell to the ground as if from a great height, his neck twisted at an odd angle.

Two prawns stepped inside, one of them _huge. _The prostitute slid off him and drew a piece of cloth around herself.

"Get out," the big one growled gutturally, while the smaller one moved to the table. Sandra darted out the door and disappeared into the night.

"Locked," the smaller one hissed in annoyance, stepping away to rummage through the dead humans' clothes.

"Don't bother," the big one growled, heaving on the old chains and breaking the links in a single massive shove.

"Step it up," another voice clicked, and Prue turned to see a prawn as black as the night sky step in. Freed from his shackles, Prue sat up. In the sudden light he recognized one of his benefactors.

"Anthony?"

"Prue?"

"Anthony!"

"Prue!"

Prue leaped at the Grasslander excitedly.

"You know each other?" the big one asked.

"Not _now_," the black prawn growled. "We're about to have company. Thirty seconds! We need to get out of here!"

Together, the four prawns disappeared into the night.

"Relax," the prawn drone growled, "You might find out you _like _it!"

"Please," Eleanor wept, "Just take what you want and leave me alone…"

"Don't mind if I do," the tall, beefy prawn clicked, and knocked her to the ground, tearing off the cloth she wore as a makeshift dress. She recoiled on the ground, trying to protect herself, curling into a ball.

The big masculine Rocklander hovered over her like the face of a mountain. He stood there, watching his trembling, weeping victim.

_This is too easy_, he said to himself. He sank to his haunches and reached forward to stroke her hipbones seductively when her foot flashed out and sent him flying out the side of the tent. Roaring partially in surprise, partially in pain, he flipped back up just to see her running off.

Freed from the crushing presence of her tormentor, Eleanor took off as fast as her legs would carry her. She suddenly found herself at the fence line just as human weapons chattered in the distance. She slowly toppled to the ground and began to sob, wanting it all to end. She briefly considered driving her machete through herself, but couldn't summon the courage to do it.

"Who's there?" a prawn voice clicked, and she jumped. Looking around, she saw a Waver with a bent antenna looking around sleepily. She tensed as he looked straight at her, unseeing, before moving on, blindly trying to locate the source of the sobs.

With a huff of annoyance, she took off again at a more leisurely trot, even as sobs of pain not of the flesh made her shudder & falter in her dash through the compound.

_If we don't hang together, we'll all hang separately…_

The phrase popped into her mind without conscious thought, and she remembered the two Grasslanders who had helped her not long ago.

_Do I dare ask them for help?_ She thought, suppressing a shiver as a cool breeze whispered by. _It's not like I have anything else to lose…_ Gathering the tattered remnants of her wits about her, she wiped her face and began walking, looking for a particular tent…


	6. Chapter 6

*twitch twitch*Thanks to all to those who have a vested interest in my continuing the story I started a month ago. Here's the next bit! Now to mash my head against something and unlock some more ideas…. FFFFFF HAO I LUV YUU JACK END KEY… *facepalm* D'oh! *twitch*

Warren sat quietly with Kisa as they played cards. Kisa was starting to get a feel for how the game was played just as the four prawns stumbled in, heaving from their run.

"Prue!" Kisa exclaimed as the young Waver stepped in.

"Kisa!" Prue chirped, and pounced, knocking both to the floor. They giggled and chirped contentedly as they exchanged hugs.

"What's all this?" Warren asked, looking at the two bigger males for an explanation.

"Some human whore was trying to have her way with our little Waver friend here," Darren explained.

"Prue was… is… a prostitute," Anthony added, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Back in District 9 I was his… caretaker?"

Warren shook his head, antennae bobbing derisively. "I'd've never thought you prawns would be into that sort of thing."

"He didn't breed with other prawns," Anthony added. "Not often. Usually with that Nigerian warlord's females. I remember hearing talk of him wanting to sire a hybrid offspring, capable of using all the weapons the Nigerians amassed from us."

"MNU has been trying to do that for years," Warren clicked. "And failing."

"Ah, but have they been trying to impregnate human females with Poleepkwa DNA?"

Warren shook his head. "Big corporations consider themselves above such debased methods."

"Just as they were above using such 'debased methods' as vivisection?" Darren asked. "Don't lie, Warren. I've been to the labs. I've seen firsthand what they've done. And I imagine Christopher has as well, else why would he have vanished with our ship?"

"He has," Warren clicked softly. "Although I dearly wish he hadn't, as had I."

By now, Kisa had managed to pry Prue off of her. The young Waver was bobbing ecstatically at being reunited with someone he knew who wasn't about to beat or screw him. "What time is it?" the Ice Walker inquired.

"Quarter after ten," Anthony replied, and she gasped.

"That would be why I'm so drowsy," she clicked in sudden realization.

"Yes, it is," Anthony agreed. "And I have to work tomorrow. I'll see you all tomorrow night." And with that, he ducked out and made his way back to his own tent.

Kisa retired to the nest, with Prue in tow. Darren and Warren stared at each other for a long moment before the shorter prawn waved after Kisa and Prue.

"I know you want it," Warren clicked. "Go."

Darren briefly considered asking for confirmation, but opted not to, padding after them. There was an amused gurgle as the big prawn nestled himself up behind Kisa, who had wrapped their lost Waver friend up in a dirty shawl. Jack, for his part, had seated himself and was shuffling the deck of cards.

"Fancy a game?" he clicked, and Warren shook his head.

"I've had enough excitement for one day," he answered. "I just want to get some sleep. You do what you want to do, I'm taking the couch. When you get tired you can have the chair."

"Fair enough."

At that, Warren padded into the nest area and laid himself out on the couch. Prue was watching him intently.

"Sleep, you," he instructed quietly. "Kisa specializes in taking in lost and troubled souls."

"I heard that," she clicked, but her tone indicated amusement.

They all chortled lightly before making themselves more comfortable…

Not five minutes had gone by and Jack was seated and practicing a game with himself when there was a soft rap on the doorframe. Wincing as he stood, he slowly walked over and opened the door. Outside was a dark brown Rocklander with a large machete.

Upon seeing her weapon, alarm bells went off inside his mind, despite the fact she wasn't carrying it in a threatening manner.

"What is it?" he demanded, and she recoiled at his tone as if struck.

"I… I'm sorry, I…" she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, taking a step away.

"Come now, spit it out!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she clicked at last. "I thought someone else lived here."  
"Why do you want to know? What do you want?!"

"Who is it?" a voice clicked behind him. The Rocklander appeared on the verge of tears, and was clearly gearing up to make a run for it, but stopped when she recognized Warren.

"No idea," Jack answered. "She's looking for someone, and seems to think that they live here."

"Hello, Eleanor," Warren clicked, and Jack whirled around in surprise.

"Just how many prawns do you _know_, Warren?!" he demanded.

"She was here the other day, and Anthony and I gave her some food, she was starving." He looked at her. "Is that it? Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

El didn't reply. She simply stood in the middle of the road, trembling, and looked back the way she had come.

Jack waved a hand dismissively, and retreated inside in disgust. When he disappeared, El took a step towards him, but only one.

"I…"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Warren soothed. "Talk to me. Forget Jack, he's something of a sarcastic prick at times."

Now the tears began to flow in earnest. "I have no home," she whined, "it has been taken from me. I have no more possessions but what I keep on me, they're lost to me. I have no place where I can go to be safe…" she sobbed & trembled, and it was plain to see she was freezing.

Warren glanced over his shoulder, to see Jack leaning back in the chair. "Come inside," he clicked. When she didn't move, he repeated himself, and her gaze met his. She cradled her machete like a child.

"Are you sure?"

"If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have suggested it." He held the door open for her, beckoning her inside. With obvious reluctance, she padded her way inside.

Warren offered her a jar of meaty pasta sauce, which she carefully but quickly snatched from him. Watching him and Jack intently, she pried the top off and began scooping fingerfuls of the chunky sauce into her maw.

"Thank you," she clicked between mouthfuls.

"No problem." He brushed off the sofa and gestured to it. "You can lie here."

She looked around as she ate. "Where will you sleep?"

"I'll manage."

Her sudden apprehension skyrocketed as a sudden thought hit her.

"You're not going to try and mate with me, are you?"  
Warren and Jack both barked with soft laughter. "He's not that type, and I've got other things to spend my energy on," Jack clicked. "If Warren's offering you the couch, it probably means he's going to try and squeeze himself in on the nest with the others."

She must have been upset, for the ex-soldier added in a gentler tone, "We're not going to hurt you, El."

She had begun to shake again, but forced one leg in front of the other until she was at the couch. Once there she curled up into a ball on one end, ducking her head between her arms. She tensed when Warren spread a thin sheet over her before falling down on the other side of the couch, forcing himself not to stretch all the way out and invade her space. Before long he was fast asleep.

Jack watched the Rocklander with a mild interest, unable to sleep. Something about her spoke volumes to him, and he felt the fortress he had erected around himself crumbling to dust.

And, if he was honest with himself, he felt the same thing around Kisa.

She must have noticed him staring at her, for she asked, "What is it?"

"Sorry," he clicked, looking away.

She wanted to push it, as she had a feeling this black prawn – despite his clearly battered carapace – wished something from her, but couldn't summon the courage to ask.

"You remind me of… someone I knew," he whispered a few moments later. "And someone I… once was."

El perked her antennae up with interest as she eased herself upright. "Tell me more," she chirped…

In the nest, Kisa lay absolutely still, with Darren at her back and Prue resting his head on her arm. She strained to listen as Jack, slowly but surely, began to open up to the Rocklander…

"… come over here," he clicked. "I don't want to wake the others."

"What others?"

"Darren, Kisa and Prue are in the nest, and are sleeping."

There was several seconds of silence, then the sound of a shawl falling aside and a couple footsteps, then the creaking of the chair as another body clambered into it.

"Relax," Jack soothed. "Nobody here's going to hurt you."

"I'm sorry, I'm trying… It's just that I've never had anyone be… like this… with me."

"You've never known kindness?" A pause. "Shame." Another pause, then Jack asked, "Can I put my arm around you?"

"No."

"You'll probably be more comfortable, and won't fall off the edge if you come a little closer…"

There was an exasperated sigh.

"I'm not trying to pressure you, I want you to feel safe."

Bodies moving around.

"There, better, see?"

"Shut up," El clicked. "Just shut up. I'm sure you're getting something out of using me like this. Status, maybe, among your 'friends'."

"I think that's where we're different, you and I," Jack said. "Maybe the only friends you've known are those who've just taken what they wanted from you, trying their hardest to pretend you weren't there, as a means to an end. Me, they've given me a reason to do what I do. What I've done, and what I will do in the future."

"What's your name?" she chirped.

"Everyone here calls me Jack."

"What is it you've done for your friends, Jack?"

Silence. Then, "Terrible things. Wonderful things. I've seen and done things I hope nobody else ever has to see. Ever."

Prue rolled over in his sleep, and there was sudden silence from the other side of the partition. Even though she couldn't see them, Kisa could still feel the tension skyrocket. There was quiet for a couple minutes, before Eleanor prodded Jack with another question.

"Who do I remind you of?"

"What?"

"You said I reminded you of someone you used to know. Who was it?"

"Keep quiet, you'll wake the others!"

She lowered her voice to the point it was almost indecipherable. "Well?"

Jack seemed reluctant to answer her. Someone shifted in the chair, and Kisa vaguely heard the sound of Poleepkwa sobs. But their pitch was somehow different.

In a moment of shocking clarity, she realized Jack was _crying_. Black Jack, the soldier, the stoic, sarcastic, immoveable prawn who went to great lengths to hide what he truly felt, had lost control.

"My parent," he clicked at last. "I was… barely older than a sprawnling when he was… taken away and… beaten like an animal They cut off his hands and feet, tossed him into a pit filled with eggs and… incinerated."

"That's horrific! Who would do such a thing?!"

"Humans have, but this was before our arrival here." Bodies shifted, and it sounded like he had pulled her close and was speaking into her armpit. "I watched it with my own eyes, and was powerless to stop it… the screaming agony in his eyes as his plates bubbled…"

For several minutes he just laid there and cried, and cried, and for reasons she couldn't quite understand herself El found herself stroking his head and shoulders.

"I vowed that day I would not let anyone else have to witness that again," he finished. "I never grew up. I built a wall around my pain and fear, so I could at least function. Until suddenly I was here."

"That's the sweetest and most horrifying story I've ever heard," El clicked.

Kisa was floored at the revelation.

"Why did you tell me this?" Eleanor chirped inquisitively.

"Because, when I look at you I see that gentle part of me I was forced to bury for my own sanity."

There was little else they said, and after a time Kisa realized they must have fallen asleep. She slowly creeped out of the nest and out of Darren's embrace to peek out of a hole in the partition, to see the two curled up in each other's arms. Though she wanted to sit and watch, Prue stirring prompted her to return to the nest.

Though she would never forget the sight of the two of them holding each other in their sleep…

The next morning, El was gone. Darren was getting a few things ready for the day before he left for work, Warren was staying in his spot on the couch, Prue was still sleeping, and Kisa & Jack were having breakfast, standing off to the side.

"I want to do some salvaging," Kisa announced, and Warren stretched.

"I'll come along," he clicked. "I need to do _something_ around here aside from eat your food and sleep in your nest."

"Good. Now be a dear and go wake Prue. We'll all go."

"I'm not sure if I should, what with my still being as sore as I am," Jack clicked.

"A little exercise won't kill you, soldier." She finished her meager breakfast just as Warren disappeared behind the partition, whispering in the young prawn's ear slits…

Kisa pulled Jack out the door and had him standing outside.

"Oh, Jack…" she clicked, before wrapping her arms around the taller prawn.

"Uh…"  
Surprised at the sudden gesture of affection, and feeling royally uncomfortable with it but unable to move, he just stood there, paralyzed, before slowly raising his left arm and returning the gesture, eyes looking strait ahead, and she purred contentedly. (.com/art/Black-Jack-and-Key-141922603 right here!!!)

"If you ever need something, anything at all," she clicked, "You let me know. I'll be there for you…" she patted his shoulder and ran a hand down his other arm, allowing herself to fully _feel_ his presence around her.

"You were awake last night, weren't you." It wasn't a question.

"I heard every word," she replied, and he tensed. "No, no, it's okay," she soothed. "I _understand_ now. And I'm so, so sorry…"

He pushed her back. "I don't need your sympathy," he spat. "All I need is me."

"No," she replied, stepping forward. "You have this horrific memory. And though you've done your best to forget it, it haunts you, has made you what you are now."

"You barely know me," Jack scoffed. "What-"

"Jack, there will come a time when you will want nothing more than to be loved," Kisa interrupted. "And if you just hide behind your walls, not letting anyone else see the frightened sprawnling that is your center, you will die, cold and alone, after living a cold and lonely life. Nobody deserves that."

"Is that why you're taking in every derelict you lay eyes on?" he asked sarcastically. "As a means to compensate for something?"

She drew back, offended, but put it aside and returned his glare with equal measure. "Do you remember the day MNU was going shack to shack and havig us scrawl our Earth names on paper to legalize our being evicted from our homes?"

He nodded.

"I was living in shack 766 and was out foraging for food for my eggs when they stopped by. I came around the corner just in time to see them _burn it to the ground._" She shuddered. "I ran to Christopher's and told him what happened. I still hear the popping as the embryos were bursting out, only to die…"

"What do you want, an apology?"

"No, you-" she gargled out an imprecation he had only heard in the worst of situations in the worst of battlefields. "I just want you to know you're not the only one with a raw, aching pain inside yourself!"

Her outburst had at once surprised him and rocked him on his proverbial heels.

"I'm sorry I was rude," he apologized, holding his arms out.

She looked at him with disgust. "What makes you think that will do anything?"

"Because," he chirped, "of how you felt, and how you looked a minute ago when you hugged me." She seemed obviously reluctant, and he stepped forward, so all she had to do was reach out and embrace him.

"Look, you know my deep inner secret now," he told her. "Might as well take advantage of the tear in my armor while it's there."

She sighed, but reached forward and pulled him close…

The tent door swung open and Warren & Prue stepped out.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Warren asked.

"No," Kisa clicked. "Come on, let's go."

Together, the four prawns began walking to the edge of the District…


	7. Chapter 7

I feel I SIMPLY MUST dedicate this chapter to someone... SO. To .com/ and .com. This ones for YOU GALS!!! Now, you'll excuse me while I crawl into a hole and hide for the next few days...

The four prawns spent the morning foraging through scrap piles looking for anything useful. And while mostly unsuccessful, they were able to find the two halves of a can opener. Jack found an old trench coat that had been discarded because of a large paint stain that ran down the back.

He walked over to Kisa, as they had all become rather separated from each other.

"Find anything?" he inquired.

"Just the can opener and some shiny round thing," she replied, holding up what she didn't know to be a pocket watch.

Warren walked up with an armful of wooden planks. "I found these," he said. "Maybe we could make another shelf, or a table of some kind?..."

"Where's Prue?" Kisa asked.

"I thought he was with one of you," Warren replied.

Jack shook his head. "I think he's afraid of me. So much the better."

Kisa swatted playfully at Jack. "I thought he was with you, Warren," she clicked, a sudden worry creeping into her gut.

"Do you think we should go looking?" Warren asked. "He's probably just out having fun or something."

Kisa nodded. "Go bring that back to the tent and then come find us. We'll start wandering around." Jack huffed with irritation, but said nothing.

"With pleasure," Warren clicked. "Anything to get out of this dump." He nodded at the piles of garbage they and a few other prawns were wandering though, almost aimlessly.

They began walking their separate ways, when a sudden commotion caught Jack's attention. Across the next rise, on the edge of the dump, two Rocklanders were yelling at and prodding a reddish-brown prawn with a bent antenna.

"Give us your bag!" they were saying, indicating the sack of random trash around their victim's shoulders.

Jack gurgled angrily. "Wait here," he instructed Kisa, and his tone did not advise disobedience. HE walked over to the two Rocklanders as the burgundy prawn stumbled and fell.

"James. John." Jack clicked angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"_You,_" the two clicked angrily. Then one said, "The coward dares show his face."

"Coward?" the second clicked. "Traitor."

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Jack shot back.

"Only because you _ran_."

"I vanished when it was clear MNU was moving in heavy weapons to take out the Resistance enclave," Jack retorted. "I almost died trying to make it back into the compound." He shook his head, antennae waving about. "I'm sick of getting shot at. I'm sick of fighting. I'm sick of what we are doing to each other – and what our actions are making the humans do to us. Look around!" He gestured at the garbage piles. "We're like animals to them!"

"If we don't stand up for ourselves," the first one growled, "The humans will trample us into the dirt."

"Only if you keep giving them reasons to choke us all to death."

"_Lies!_" the two other ex-soldiers cried, and then leaped to attack. The first one lunged at Jack with both fists, the second leaped into the air, foot outstretched, intent on kicking his head in. Jack ducked and rolled, suppressing a wince as a lance of fire shot up his side. He came up into a crouch, and blocked the second's follow up kicks as the first rolled and somersaulted back into arm's reach.

Kisa watched with avid interest as Jack's leg darted out faster than she would have believed possible, sending the first prawn flying back, arms and legs flailing. He then jumped up and aimed a fist at the second prawn, but it was deflected. They grappled with each other and the first prawn leaped back into the fray, managing to land a blow to Jack's back while he was distracted. He stumbled and fell, and a kick send him sprawling.

Kisa found herself running at the fight before she even realized it. With a screech, she tackled them both. Surprised at the sudden appearance of another prawn, the three of them fell to the ground in a pile of thrashing limbs.

Jack rolled back and somersaulted to a standing position.

"My, you're a feisty little one," one of them said. "I think I'll keep you. You'll make a fine mate…"

Kisa roared an imprecation, but the second slammed a fist into her and knocked her off to the side. She looked up in time to see Jack drive a kick into the first one's chest, then leap over and grab the second by the throat and lift him into the air. His victim dug his talons into Jack's hand, then tried to swipe at his antennae, but Jack kept his face held back and just out of reach.

"It pains me to see that you see little else to fight for but fighting for the sake of fighting," Jack growled. The first prawn clutched at his chest and tried to loop a leg around Jack, to knock him to the ground, but Jack kicked him in the side.

"Stay down," he clicked. "Or I'll rip out his throat." He slammed the second prawn into the dirt, _hard_, and his victim whimpered in pain. He pushed the other into the ground as she stood and watched.

"You coward," the first one said as he stood, holding his chest.

"At least I showed up and helped defend the enclave," Jack shot back. "More than you two could bring yourselves to do." That elicited an angry hiss, but Jack's posture resembled a coiled spring, or a time bomb – about to explode at the slightest provocation.

"You don't have it in you, do you, Jack," the other prawn taunted. At that, Jack began to squeeze; the grounded prawn soldier began squirming in his grip, but eventually choked & lost consciousness. Straining with the effort, Jack lifted the unconscious prawn up and tossed him at his friend. He ducked and the other sailed through the air, hitting the ground and rolling into a pile of garbage.

The two prawns glared at each other. "You cause trouble for me again," Jack clicked without a hint of emotion, "I'll kill you. And anyone else that bothers me again." He stood his ground until the other prawn began to backpedal away from him. Only when he disappeared around a row of tents did he turn around, to see Kisa lying on the ground. He stepped over to her, and she found herself shrinking back, utterly terrified of him.

At least until his arm snaked out and he held out his hand. She looked at it, then at him in momentary confusion, before accepting his help to stand up.

"Thank you," he clicked softly, and for the briefest of instants she saw the inner sprawnling at his heart. His inner barriers then seemed to rise back into place, and he was once again Black Jack: cold and distant, bitter and sarcastic. She wanted nothing more than to give him a hug, but when she stepped forward, he pushed her away.

"Not now," he told her, and sauntered back towards the fallen prawn with the bent antenna, who was patting the ground around him looking for some of the contents of his sack. He tensed when Jack stooped down to his level.

"Are you all right?" he clicked.

"Y-yes. Who were they? What did they want?" The burgundy prawn looked up at the midday sun, and Jack noticed how clouded over they were.

_He's almost completely blind,_ Jack realized. There was a large, solid-looking branch lying a few feet away, and Jack reached over and handed it to the blind prawn.

"Bullies," Jack said. "Pay them no mind. Soldiers with no battle to fight tend to… misbehave."

"Well, thank you for your help," the prawn replied, easing himself to a standing position. "My name is Kak."

Jack grunted dismissively, and Kisa came up beside them. "My name is Kisa," she clicked. "This is Jack."  
"Hello Jack, hello Kisa," Kak replied cheerily. "I don't suppose you could help me to find my bag? I appear to have dropped it."

"It's right here," Kisa clicked, lifting it off the ground from where it lay about five feet away. She slung it over Kak's shoulder, and he purred contentedly. With a friendly thank you, he began to make his way towards the middle of the compound.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she clicked.

"I just can't stand soldiers who go around causing trouble for the sake of causing trouble," he replied with a shrug. "Let's go find our precious Prue."

There was a cry of joy that echoed across the area, and they both turned to see Prue scampering towards them across the trash piles.

"Prue!" Kisa called out. "Where have you been?!"

The young prawn didn't answer; instead, he leaped at her with profound relief in his large round eyes. She almost fell, but Jack reached out and caught her.

"I'm just glad to see you," he clicked.

"Did you find anything we can use or barter with?" Jack asked.

"Nope."

Jack sighed disgustedly, and began to saunter off rather than say the smartass remark he was itching to make.

"Are you getting hungry, Prue?" Kisa asked and Prue nodded. "Good. Let's go find lunch." Together they sprinted to catch up with Jack, who had put on the trench coat.

"Aren't you hot in that?" Prue asked, but Jack ignored him. Kisa leaned forward a bit as they walked, and was taken aback by the raw emotion he was struggling to contain.

"Prue, run ahead and find Warren," Kisa suggested. "He should be at our tent. Tell him to open up something to eat and drink."

"Okay!" The young prawn bounded off ahead, full of energy.

When he was out of earshot, Kisa stopped Jack by putting a restraining hand on his arm.

"What's wrong?" she chirped inquisitively. "Talk to me, Jack."

He looked down at his grime-streaked frame. "James, John and I have been friends since our inception in the military," he said after a moment. "They and a few others were the only friends I've ever had, if you really want to know." He shrugged out of her grasp, and she saw real pain in his eyes. "Now I have nobody."

She stroked his cheek plates. "You have more than you realize," she cooed. "We will look after you, if you will help look after us."

"I'm not in the habit of covering for the weak and defenseless."

"I see." She took a step back, and he looked past his own hurt to see he had hurt her. Her leg darted up and he reflexively caught it, but it still hammered his palm.

"Who's defenseless, now?" she clicked.

"Maybe you are worthy," he replied, examining her leg. "Good form. And a solid hit, too, but a bit slow. Had I not caught you, you would have taken my head off."

She reclaimed her leg and looked at him. "I was raised by Ashfoot himself, and then by the queens when he died."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "You're the-"

She nodded.

"I am honored," he clicked softly. "But I still don't know about all this…"

"You're a soldier," she clicked at him. "You'll figure something out." And without another word, she turned and walked away. He stood and watched her go, yet despite the summer heat beating down on his face, and the coat trapping that much more of his body heat, he shivered as he stared at her hips.

_Weapons. We'll need weapons…_ He spun around and began running, the coat flapping behind him.

Kisa and Prue met up with Warren at the tent. "Where's Jack?" Warren asked.

"He probably ran off somewhere," Kisa replied coldly.

Warren was taken aback at her tone; usually Kisa was the epitome of pleasantness.

"What's wrong, Key?" he asked, handing her a can of food.

"I'm just hungry."

Prue looked at the two older prawns with curiosity as he ate. Though they ate in relative silence, Warren believed he knew his benefactor well enough to know when something was bothering her.

Jack returned just as they were finishing up, with two pistol-sized weapons and an ion rifle.

"What the hell are those for?!" the others demanded.

"For our _protection_," Jack replied. "I don't trust the others to leave me completely alone, and I intend to be ready should the worst happen."

"I don't want those in my space!" Kisa growled. "I'm not going back to MNU in chains to be beaten and prodded like an animal because of your predilection with weapons!"

"I wasn't planning on keeping them _in here_," Jack scoffed. "But certainly close by."

Kisa looked plaintively at Warren, who threw up his hands in surrender. She didn't like the thought of it, but couldn't bring herself to argue. With a snort, she stormed out.

"Back to work, I suppose," Warren shrugged, and followed her out, with Prue close behind.

Kisa spent the rest of the day shunning Jack, which was fine with him. While the rest of them foraged through garbage piles, he wandered around the perimeter of the compound, appearing aimless, but actually looking for vulnerabilities in the fence and the guard towers' fields of view.

When Darren and Anthony returned, they told the others of how a fire drill had interrupted their day, disrupting work for half an hour. Kisa showed them the single shiny round object she found, which Warren told them was a watch, used to tell time.

Jack grew tired of listening to all the idle chatter and eventually disappeared with his new coat, making his way to the watering hole that had been dug for the prawns to bathe in. Several others were up to their bony hips – as deep as it got – and were enjoying themselves, but he simply sat on the edge and watched, as the sun set and darkness blossomed. The air grew quiet, still, and cool, and still he had not moved. He stood suddenly & walked around the circumference of the "pool", looking around but not seeing anyone.

He found a piece of rubber and began munching on it absently, listening to the distant sound of human music, intermingling with the soft breeze. He didn't know how long he sat there, but eventually everything became very quiet.

He heard footsteps behind him, coming closer. He turned to see a silvery angel coming towards him, which he recognized as Kisa. He sat, mesmerized by her beauty; the breeze blowing over the thin strips of cloth she wore, the moonlight reflecting off her frame, and the way she seemed so determined to creep up as quietly beside him. She slowed and came to a stop a few yards away when she saw he was looking at her.

"I… I'm not disturbing you, am I?" she asked.

"I was just… thinking."

"Can I come closer?"

He gestured for her to sit beside him, turning to look back at the glassy waters. She sat beside him, dipping her feet in the water. Together they watched the ripples spread out across its mirrored surface.

"What were you thinking about?" Kisa clicked. "Those other soldiers you served with?"

Though she could barely see it, he nodded, and his antennae drooped.

"That must have been hard on you, telling them what you did." She ran a hand across his shoulders, and he tensed slightly. At that, she drew back.

"I'm sorry if I offended you earlier, bringing in those weapons," he clicked quietly. "I just don't trust them. I don't trust anybody. I can't, I've tried."

"Oh, Jack…" She leaned forward and rested her head on his arm. "If only you could try one more time, for me…"

"Why?" he inquired. "You're only going to do something to hurt me in the long run."

"I would think your being military with aggressor enhancements or whatever that it would be the other way around." She sat up. "To be honest, I'm surprised I like you as much as I do, knowing what you've done in the past on this planet."

"What's that supposed to mean? You 'liking' me?"

"You seem like a very approachable sort, when you let your shields down, that's all," she explained.

He pushed her away, slowly, with obvious reluctance. "You shouldn't," he chirped sadly. "I'm not a nice person."

"Yes you are," Kisa countered. "You just refuse to let others – and especially not yourself – see it."

He slipped out of his trench coat and started walking into the calm water. Kisa watched him inquisitively as he made his way out to the middle of the pool, then dropped down until only his head was above water.

"What are you doing?"

By way of reply, he cupped some water in his hands and raised his arms, letting it drain out onto his head. She watched as Black Jack repeated the process five or six times, as he bathed himself almost ceremoniously.

The pale prawn stood and walked over to him, standing hip-deep in the cool water. She splashed some water onto the back of his head, and he looked at her with a mix of annoyance and amusement. Ducking under the water, he darted away from her, and in the darkness she had no idea where he disappeared to until his head bobbed up behind her.

She spun around and knelt so that they were face to face, even though he was mostly underwater while she was mostly above it.

"Can I ask you something?" she clicked.

"Inquisitive today, aren't you," he replied, but his tone didn't indicate refusal.

"How are you missing one of your… tendrils?" she gestured at his face.

He stood slowly, and the water flowed off of him and dripped down back into the pool, giving him a shiny luster. "Do you remember when I first showed up at your doorstep, and Warren brought me in?"

"A few days ago, yes, I remember."

"MNU..."

And then, it all fell into place. How he had escaped from whatever ambush he had found himself in, been spotted trying to sneak back into the district, and how automatic weapons fire had chewed him up and spit him back out, leaving him to drag himself along until he collapsed where they had found him. A stray bullet must have taken it off; that it had not penetrated his throat and killed him was nothing short of miraculous. She mewled at him.

"What is it?!"

"I want to hold you…"

He glared at her, and she wilted. "Why?"

"Jack… I…"

He folded his arms across his chest, waiting.

"Oh, never mind," she clicked, turning and walking away from him.

With a snort, he waded out of the pool, grabbed his coat, and sauntered off. The sounds of quiet splashing behind him informed him Kisa was rinsing off the past several days' grime herself. When she looked up, he had disappeared.

At the sudden realization she was alone, she shivered; with a sigh of longing she returned to the tent, and was surprised to see Jack was not there. Whimpering softly to herself, she laid down in the nest next to Warren, who had Prue curled up in his arms.

And though he could be irritating, Darren was spending the night with Anthony. Yet for some reason she longed for nothing else than to feel his big frame reassuringly resting at her back.


	8. Chapter 8

OMFG OMFG OMFG I've done it! I've PROVEN the INEFFICIENCY of brain bleach! Hence, I now put in here a big disclaimer.

WARNING! ADULT THEMED CONTENT AHEAD. If ya don't like it, or are offended in any way, simply click the little X in the corner of your browser window to be redirected immediately to whatever else you might be doing…

I'm just pleased I was able to reference the alien race of my own creation here. GRYPHONS *heart* Well, one of them anyway… Nahydran battle matriarchs are NOT something you want to mess with…

Oh, and be sure you follow the link I included midway through; it wasn't written by me, but DOES follow the story arc I've come up with here! I hope Gutter-child doesn't mind….

Anyways, we'll be back after these messages…

The Nahydran flapped her wings at him.

[WHERE are the soldiers I left here?!] she screeched.

"I killed them," Jack replied.

[Haaarrrrrrr,] she growled angrily, stooping down low. [_Why_ won't you celestial vermin just lay down and _die?!_]

"And miss out on the chance to kill arrogant, egg-sucking monsters like you?" Jack clicked, leaping forward and swinging his rifle at her head. She somersaulted back, clacking her beak as she flapped her wings.

[Yes, I am a monster,] she hissed. [The question is do I kill you quickly, or do I pull you apart, limb for limb, with my bare claws?] She flexed her athletic biceps for emphasis, swaying angrily, as she prepared to tackle him.

"Do your worst, monster," Jack replied, shouldering his rifle and squeezing the trigger, sending a burst of ion pulse fire at her. The avian dodged by leaping into the air, and came down on him. They slammed into the ground, which roared from the impact. A bright light blinded him…

…he jerked awake as the morning sun shone into his face. With a sigh of relief, Jack realized it was a dream.

More than a dream; a memory. The Nahydran had almost ripped his throat open with her talons before John had killed her with his pistol.

The memory railed at him, and he thumped a fist against the ground.

John. And James. The only other survivors he knew of from the Resistance that were still alive.

His two closest friends, now almost certainly implacable enemies. He blinked back sudden tears at the pain the thought gave him.

For once more, he was truly alone.

Kisa woke the next morning to the sound of helicopters buzzing overhead. Warren twitched as whatever dream world he was in was interrupted. He spasmed in alarm, thinking they were coming for him, but was stilled by a touch from Kisa.

"They're just flying overhead," she clicked reassuringly. "Relax."

"It's time to get up anyway," he replied, stretching. "Darren and Anthony should be here soon, I imagine, eh?"

As if on cue, the two prawns peered into the tent. Seeing minimal activity, they stepped inside and waited patiently for Kisa to greet them. Standing up and stretching herself, she padded into the main area and gave them both a hug.

"Where's Jack?" Darren asked.

Kisa shrugged. "Don't know. He left last night and hasn't been back."

They clicked nonchalantly. "Well, we're off to work once more," Anthony said.

"If you see Jack, tell him to come find me," Kisa chirped. "Oh, before you go…" she followed the two bigger prawns outside, and they turned to look at her.

"Anthony, can I ask a favor?"

"Anything," he replied.

"Would you be willing to… take Darren, Warren and Prue in, just for tonight?"

Darren blinked at her, strangling the urge to mewl at her.

"I… don't see why not," he replied. "What for?"

"I'd like to have my place to myself, just for one night."

The two males looked at each other, and Anthony shrugged.

"Certainly."

"Thank you," she chirped amicably, and gave them both another hug. "Now go to work before you miss the shuttle and are disciplined, or some such." They exchanged parting greetings and the two males were gone. She returned inside and roused Prue, and the three of them ate a light breakfast before sauntering off to find what entertainments they could to occupy their day.

Throughout the morning, concern for Jack's well-being wouldn't stop bothering her. Finally, around lunch, she broke down and walked up to Warren.

"Can you look after Prue for a little while?" she asked. "I need to go do something."

His round eyes bored into hers, but he eventually nodded. "I'll manage."

"Oh, thank you!" She gave him a quick hug and then vanished.

(Read this next! It's the next bit, GC just wrote it first and I wanted to incorporate it without copy-pasting her work!)

(.com/art/The-Blanket-Sale-141951546)

"…miss? Eleanor?" Kak called out, but whoever he was calling out to had already disappeared. He muttered something to himself as Kisa approached. He turned his foggy eyes in her direction when he heard her footsteps.

"Hello there," he clicked cheerily.

"Hello, Kak, it's me, Kisa," she said. "Remember me?"

"How could I forget?" he replied, and waved his antennae contentedly. "What can I do for you?" he gestured to his blanket of knickknacks. "Do you see anything you like?"

She looked down at the assorted junk he had laying out on the blanket in front of him, but saw little of interest.

"I was actually hoping you could help me," she chirped.

He gurgled softly with laughter. "I certainly can try," he said.

"Do you remember Jack?"

Kak paused and looked upwards, and his already foggy eyes seemed to get foggier as he recalled the memory from the previous day. "Ah, yes," he clicked after a moment. "He seems like something of a distant fellow, but knows to do good when the time comes."

She purred in agreement. "Have you seen him?"

Kak purred with laughter again. "I'm sorry, Kisa," he clicked. "But my eyesight just isn't want it once was."

Her face fell, and her antennae drooped forlornly; though he couldn't see it, he must have sensed it, for he added hastily, "I haven't seen him, but I'll do what I can, little though it may be."

"That's all I ask." She turned and began to walk away, but he called her name again. She paused and looked his way.

"He wasn't hurt yesterday, was he?" he inquired.

She shook her head. "Not physically," she answered. "But I fear the emotional pain he is going through may be too much for him. I don't want him to do something… rash. Those were apparently two of his closest friends he fought."

"Yes, I agree," Kak chirped.

"If he does come see you again, please ask him to come find me. He's taken to wearing a long jacket, so you should hear him going by."

"Thank you, and I'll do that! Good luck, and have a nice day."

"Take care, Kak," she said, and continued walking.

"Warren! Look at this!" Prue clicked excitedly, hefting a large flat piece of thick plastic.

"I know just the perfect spot for that," Warren chirped, taking it from the younger prawn. "We can put this under the chair in Kisa's tent, so it won't rock so much."

"I also found this!" he held out a dirty teddy bear. "I just don't know what it is."

"It's a teddy bear," Warren explained. "Human children cuddle with them in bed, when they are all alone and afraid."

Prue eyed it warily. "Humans, huh," he clicked.

"Yes. When they're alone and scared. It's a toy."

Prue popped the bear's head in his mouth, but spit it back out. "Not edible."

Warren surprised himself with how bubbly his laugh was. "They're not _food_," he admonished.

To his surprise, Prue slipped off the pants he was wearing and began massaging the bear against his pelvis, in smooth up-and-down motions.

"Ooh, that's nice," the little prawn purred, and his eyes grew distant.

"PRUE!"

"Right, sorry…" Prue put the bear on the ground and secured his pants, and Warren averted his eyes, but not before he saw considerably more about the young prawn's slightly aroused body than he would have liked…

Several hours later, Kak was packing up his belongings when there was a rustle of a long jacket from not far away. He sniffed the air, and grew suddenly apprehensive, as if he was being watched. Before he could say anything, a voice chirped at him.

"Having any trouble with those other two?"

He looked in the direction the voice had come from, and something seemed to spark a chord of recognition.

"Jack? Is that you?"

Footsteps approached, and he sensed a tall figure in a dark cloak kneeling in front of him a couple of feet away.

"Yeah, it's me… Has anyone been bothering you?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Kak replied cheerily. "It's been a nice day. A good day, so far."

"Good." He stood and began to walk away when Kak shot his arm out and caught his ankle.

"Sorry, but your friend was looking for you earlier," Kak informed him.

"What did she want?"

"Nobody tells me much of anything, but she wants you to go see her."

"Did she say why?"

Kak shook his head slowly, massaging the top of his head. "No, but she seemed worried for you. Anyways, just delivering the message."

Jack seemed to be deliberating over what to say, if anything. Finally, he clicked a small thank you and vanished. Kak finished packing up his worldly possessions and grabbed the stick he was using to help him tell where he was going.

"Eleanor, Eleanor," he began to chirp, slowly walking in the direction he knew the meat shop to be…

The sun was finally setting when Kisa saw Jack's unmistakable silhouette – wrapped in a stained jacket that fell to his knees – marching towards a rather decrepit-looking tent. He ducked inside and she stopped outside the door, debating whether to go in after him.

"Jack?" she clicked. "Are you in there? Can I come in?"

A moment later he emerged, hefting another ion assault rifle and a pistol, strapped to a Poleepkwa-designed flak jacket. There was also additional flak protection wrapped around his midsection and legs. He marched right past her as if she wasn't even there.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm through with MNU," he stated flatly. "With the military, Poleepkwa bullies, I'm through with the world. I'm through shedding tears and blood when all I get from the universe by way of thanks is more pain, and a call for more blood."

Realization hit her like an avalanche at what he intended to do.

"You're going to go out in a blaze of glory?! Take as many of them as you can!?! Jack, you can't!"

He stopped suddenly and thrust his face into hers. "Why not?" he demanded. "And who's going to stop me? You?" He chuckled sarcastically. "You and what army?" He spun around and continued his march towards the nearest guard tower, almost three hundred meters distant.

"Jack, please, don't do this," she begged. "I don't want you to do this!"

"Sod off," he told her. Other prawns gawked at the two as they passed them.

She leaped in front of him and decked him with a solid roundhouse kick to the shoulder. Before he could rise, she pinned him to the ground and glared at him.

"You're NOT doing this," she growled, and the menace in her voice told him not to argue. "I'm NOT going to stand back and watch you force the humans to kill you."

"Why not?"

She thumped his shoulders against the ground, and he suppressed a cry of pain as still-healing plates took more abuse.

"Because you've lost faith," she hissed. "And I feel I'm the one to give some back to you."

"Poetic," he hissed back, and tried to free himself. "Get off me."

"No."

"Kisa…"

She refused to budge.

"Look, I thank you for all you've done for me, but this is NOT your decision to make!"

"Like hell." She leaned forward and nuzzled his neck. Something seemed to click in his mind, and he stopped struggling.

"Better," she chirped, tickling his throat with her mandibles. "Now if I let you get up, do you promise not to storm off?"

He wrestled with the decision for several moments, but eventually nodded once. "I won't tonight. I can't promise anything for tomorrow."

"That will have to do," she clicked as she stood. He slowly brought himself to a standing position, and followed her to her tent, where the others were trying to learn crazy eights.

He shed his weapons in annoyance at their paltry attempts. "Let me show you how it's done," he clicked…

For the next hour they played, laughed, and enjoyed themselves; even Jack seemed hard pressed to keep his cold façade in place. As the night grew long, Kisa kicked everyone out, and they all left for Anthony's.

All, that is, except for Jack. As he was the last to leave, he was about to step out when she pulled him back inside. He gawked curiously as she pulled him bodily along, and screeched in surprise as she shoved him down into the nest. He fell in among the pile of sheets and old boxes that lined it, and she laid down next to him.

"You're not going anywhere," she purred.

"I thought you wanted everyone-"

"Everyone but _you_."

"Why?"

She purred affectionately, clambering on to him so she lay on top of his chest. His little limbs there were twitching nervously, and she stilled them by laying a reassuring arm across his shoulders and stroking his head.

"Answer my questi-_nnnnnnggg!!_" he began, but gurgled as she stroked his antennae.

"Just for once," she whispered, "accept the fact that not everything needs to have an explanation." She brought her face up to his, and pulled his remaining mandible into her mouth as she kissed him.

Though caught by surprise, he blinked back tears, and instinctively returned the kiss, pulling her mandibles into his mouth and sucking on them gently.

"That's right," she soothed. "You're safe here. Relax. Let your inhibitions go…"

He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her towards him so that their bodies were touching. He tensed as their hips touched, and they continued to kiss, antennae stroking each other romantically.

Her hands began exploring his body, and he couldn't help but feel his space was being intruded upon. There were protocols for dealing with invasions of such nature, but for the life of him he couldn't remember them. So he just laid there and let her do as she wished, running her fingers over his plates and tugging on the little limbs on his chest.

She sat up, and with one smooth motion peeled off both their loincloths. She lay back down, purring with affection, admiring the warmth, the feel of his body so close to hers. Her exploratory hands found his pelvis, and he felt an uncomfortable tightening as she groped him. He mewled around her tendrils, and she gurgled softly. She pulled his hands from her back and put one on her head, where he began playing with her antennae and the other on her hip.

They purred at the same time, and he wriggled slightly, getting more comfortable.

"You see?" Kisa whispered as her hands continued to explore his body. "It's not about who you've known the longest, but who came and never left your side." He tensed, pushing against her, and she believed he was almost ready.

"In your darkest hour, let me be your light," she added, and she rolled off of him, pulling him along. She spun around, presenting her back to him, and guided his hands to her hips as she pushed backwards, pressing herself against him.

He mewled softly as his body rebelled against the cold commands of his mind to heel, and she felt his flesh parting for him. His organ quickly swelled in the warmth of their embrace, and he found her entrance without difficulty. He slipped smoothly inside with a gasp, and pushed himself all the way in. He held himself there for several moments as her muscles worked him over, and he began to tremble. He buried his face in her back, and she felt tears falling against her shoulder plates. He squeezed her hips in the mating grip and began thrusting, slowly, steadily, and she groaned in ecstasy as he bred her.

She reached the precipice first, and her body clamped down on him as a plaintive mewl escaped her throat. Her body trembled, and he shifted his grip; he tucked his elbows in the crevices of her waist and placed his hands on her chest, where on a human the breasts would be, and pulled her even closer.

"Don't… stop…" she rasped, and she began rocking in place as his thrusts grew in intensity until his entire body tensed; he crushed her against him as his seed shot forth into her depths. She placed one arm on his, and with the other she reached back and patted his exposed hipbone.

"More…" she begged, and he started his rhythmic motions again, like a piston engine. His very touch sent her into sensory overload; she could scarcely feel the nest moving beneath them – or was it them that were moving? – but the room roiled and danced before her slitted eyes.

He growled viciously as another volley left him and was sucked away into her depths by her body. In the bliss of their shared passion, they mewled at each other and continued to push and thrust against their grinding bodies; another orgasm claimed her, robbing her of the ability of coherent thought; his antennae brushed against hers and its intensity suddenly seemed to skyrocket. As it faded, she realized they were both mewling rather loudly. As a reply, she rolled over to lay on her stomach, and Jack – not breaking stride in the slightest – kept with her without parting from their union. With his full weight pressing her into the nest, she buried her face in an armful of blanket and moaned: at long last she felt completely safe. His breath on her back, the thumping of their hearts, and the gasps from their panting crystallized everything into the most perfect moment; she would be taking this night to her deathbed.

He paused for a fraction of a second to shift his legs to hold him in place, just inside where her legs were resting, and he renewed his actions with increasing vigor. He moved his arms from her chest to her sides, and anchored himself in place; her arms looped back to grab at his hips and he resumed dipping in and out of her, now drenched with their bodily fluids. His body locked and he collapsed, filling her almost to overflowing; she let a muffled squeal go at the same time as their bodies – closer than anything they had ever felt or experienced before – refused to move any more and her climax struck her moments after his did, like a wave crashing upon the shore. Only this one seemed to go on and on and on, never ending, skyrocketing in intensity over shared passion long pent up, unable to break free…

They were halfway to Anthony's tent when Darren realized he had forgotten something at Kisa's. He turned and jogged back, but stopped short of entering when he heard mewling coming from inside. He walked around, tasting the air, and smelled the unmistakable spunk of aroused Poleepkwa. He stopped along the wall where the nest was and peeked in through a tiny hole in the fabric.

What he saw chilled him to the bone.

Kisa and Jack were… lying together. In a way that stabbed through him like a laser beam.

Every pelvic thrust they made cut into him like a machete.

Every purr and moan he heard from them struck him like a crashing airliner.

And the smell… It sent his own urges running amok, and it was all he could do not to scream, tear down the flimsy partition and rip Jack's head from his body.

His body sagged, and his antennae brushed against the plastic of the tent's wall. He began to sob silently, shuddering breaths wheezing in and out of him and he sat on his haunches, peering through the peephole as his arms wrapped themselves around her chest and he squeezed her close. Moments later, she rolled onto her stomach, and he kept with her as if they were one entity in two physical shells, but he never broke stride, his every motion one of deliberate caution as he strove to please her.

He could feel the folds of his own loins creeping apart in shared arousal, but closed his eyes, unable to watch any more. With a heaving breath and a broken heart, he stood and returned forlornly to Anthony's tent…

He stepped through the partition in Anthony's tent just as the other prawn was finishing a drink. His antennae twitched in curiosity at seeing the big prawn looking so crushed; he was actually carrying himself shorter than Anthony.

"What's wrong?" Anthony clicked. "You look like someone just gutted you and left you to bake in the sun."

"Kisa… and Jack… are…"

Anthony furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

The big prawn dropped to the ground in the middle of the floor and began to cry in earnest, his normally neutral voice wailing louder and louder as a pain not of the flesh wracked his body.

"Darren, Darren," Anthony clicked, kneeling beside the big prawn. "What do you mean?"

With a growl of rage and frustration, he ripped off his own garments and tore them up. "I want to die," he clicked, rolling over and presenting his back to the other prawn.

"What the hell's going on out here?" Warren growled, sitting up on the spare mattress.

"Go back to sleep, Warren," Anthony commanded. "I'll deal with this." He dragged Darren's huge form outside, and sat him up against a wooden support.

"Tell me exactly what's wrong," he clicked.

"Kisa…. And Jack…"

"Yes, what of them?"

"They're…" he began making choking noises as he wept.

"Oh, for all's sake," Anthony growled in consternation. "Get over yourself long enough to tell me what they've done to you!"

Darren wilted even further, his limbs lying flat against the ground; Anthony saw a flash of dark pink bisecting Darren's pelvis. "I saw them, lying together," he whined. "She… she let him have her. Her body." He wiped at his eyes and a faint wail of sorrow gurgled past him.

"Oh."

His announcement came as something of a surprise for him; usually when they were together and playing, she'd ensure they'd wager for anything but breeding favors. He assumed she was keeping herself celibate for a reason; apparently she just wasn't in that mindset. Until tonight.

"Darren, Darren," Anthony chirped, leaning forward and giving the burly prawn a hug. "It's okay… everything's going to be okay…" He patted the other's back in reassurance.

Darren sniffled. "Come on," Anthony said, "Come inside. Sleep it off. Tomorrow's our last day of work for a few days, you'll be able to reconnect with her at that time."

"How can I, Anthony? After what they've done?"

"Maybe it's a meaningless coupling," Anthony mused. "Maybe it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Perhaps they're both lonelier than you and I had thought, and have found a moment's comfort with… each other." He helped the bigger prawn stand up, and they disappeared inside the tent. Anthony laid Darren down on a makeshift cot that was three sizes too small for him and covered him up in an old blanket. The big prawn curled into a ball that just fit on the cot and started trembling.

"Just sleep, now," Anthony said softly. "You'll need your strength tomorrow. She'll need it." He patted Darren on the shoulder before retiring for the night, himself.

The silvery-white and midnight-black prawn finally finished with each other, leaving themselves breathless and utterly finished.

Jack moved to pull away but Kisa stopped him by grabbing his arm; instead, he laid down beside her, and she turned with him.

"Don't leave," she cooed. "I like the feeling of you… in me."

Jack grunted, reaching over and grabbing a handful of blanket & wrapping it around them both. She purred appreciatively and pushed back so they were in complete physical contact again. He eventually retracted his abused member, and they fell asleep in each other's arms…


	9. Chapter 9

The aftermath! And the end result! If this shit ain't romantic, I don't know what is…*bites lip*

Not necessarily the end, but I'm actually fresh out of ideas for the moment…*twitch*

Anthony and Darren woke up the next morning at their normal times, freshened up, ate, and left to catch the bus into work, without going to greet Kisa first. Though it tore Darren up inside, he felt it was for the best he not speak until he got a grip of himself.

Anthony hovered close by the entire time, for the big, burly prawn to draw reassurance from if needed. They didn't speak; there was nothing to be said, but Anthony did pat his friend on the shoulder every so often, letting him know he was still there. Work was but a blur; while Anthony was relieved when their shift finally ended, Darren barely remembered the day at all…

The sun shone through the tent walls, and Jack stirred. He opened his eyes a crack and saw Kisa's face millimeters from his. With a start, the previous night's activities came crashing down on him.

_Oh, hell_… he thought. Blinking to clear the fuzziness from his mind, he looked around to see it was already midmorning. He began shifting, trying to cautiously, silently extricate himself from her embrace, but she shifted and her arms – which were wrapped around his back – pulled him down close.

_Damn it._

He wanted to get out – to get away – but couldn't seem to find the strength to escape the gentle touch of her caresses. Her tendrils drew little shapes on his chest plates, and he suppressed a shiver.

A part of his mind screamed at him to get away, terminate their association before she hurt him, like everyone before her. Yet at the same time, another part of his mind forbade him to do anything except lie next to her and enjoy it. He wanted to pound the ground in frustration at his inner turmoil, but instead found himself stroking the top of her head. She purred quietly and opened her eyes.

"You're still here," she chirped, and brought his head down for a kiss.

"I find myself trapped," he replied, and kissed her back.

"Trapped how?"

"You have me pinned. I can't stand that. But for some reason I don't want to go…"

She gurgled softly in amusement, sensing his inner turmoil. "Would you like me to release you?"

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. She slowly pulled her arms back, flowing across his sides and chest. He crawled out of the nest on all fours and stood, bracing himself against the wall support.

"Do they teach breeding techniques in the military?" she clicked. "You were… last night was… incredible."

Jack scoffed and bowed his head. "No."

She rolled over and placed her head in her hands, looking at his back. He knelt next to the nest and found his loincloth, and he tied it securely into place.

"I've never… done anything like that before," he told her. "I just… Like you told me to. I lowered my guard and let my instincts tell me what to do."

Her eyes widened. "You have very good instincts."

He didn't reply. Instead, to her surprise, he sank to the ground and began to cry.

"What's wrong?" she clicked in alarm.

"I don't know!" he wailed. "I can't help myself!"

She crawled over to him and was about to wrap her arms around him when he crawled away from her. "I feel so terrible," he groaned.

"What for?"

"What I've done to you…"

"Jack, don't be!" She crawled after him, latching onto his foot and stopping him. She pushed him onto his back and clambered onto him. "I have no regrets. You shouldn't either." She bit his neck playfully, and he relaxed, forcing himself to stop weeping.

He decided to go all out and gave her a big hug, squeezing her to him, and he purred, drawing strength and comfort from her closeness. After a full minute of nuzzling each other, he let her go and they stood.

"Thank you," he whispered. Then, a bit louder, "I'm going to go and put my weapons away."

Her expression took on an air of concern. "You're not going to go get yourself killed, are you?"

He looked at her with an amused expression and a twinkle in his eye. "No." And without another word, he ducked out.

Kisa joined Warren and Prue in their scavenging through the debris that was slowly filling the compound, and spent the rest of the day as she normally did. She didn't see Jack at all for the rest of the day, but wasn't overly concerned for him.

They were still foraging when Anthony came looking for them.

Alone.

After exchanging greetings, Kisa asked, "Where's Darren?"

"He was whining about something last night," Warren noted. "Never found out what."

"I need to talk to you about that," Anthony clicked. "Why don't you two-" he indicated Warren and Prue – "Go freshen up and break out the card deck? Maybe we can play some poker!"

"Uh, all right," Warren chirped. "What will we wager?"

"I traded a few things for a few other things," he explained, "and was able to collect enough of these shiny token things to make it worthwhile."

Warren looked at him skeptically. "How many?"

"Hopefully enough. A few hundred, but you would know better than I… Anyways, I'll bring them over shortly."

Warren looked at Anthony and Kisa while Prue jumped around them playfully; he shrugged and led the hyperactive prawn away.

"What's up?" Kisa chirped. "Where's Darren?"

Anthony pulled her to the side of the dirt roadway. "I'm not sure how to say this, so I'm just going to say it." He squared his shoulders and looked her in the eye. "You broke Darren's heart last night."

Kisa eyed him suspiciously. "Oh?"

"Don't be coy," he chattered scornfully. "We've known each other too long. You asking me to have your fellow nestmates stay at my place? Then when we all left, and Jack stayed behind? Darren forgot something there, I never found out what. But he came back to me and was crushed; said you had offered yourself to Jack, and that he had taken you."

Kisa stomped a foot in the ground angrily. "Damn it! Does the entire district know?"

"Keep your voice down," Anthony told her. "It's only me and him. I aim to keep it that way. But you know how he feels about you."

Her eyes took on a soft, faraway look.

"He loves you in a way that… well, I really don't know how to explain it. But it's powerful, and deep. And when he heard you two, and saw – I'm assuming through a hole in the tent – it was devastating to him."

"I never meant to hurt him," she clicked softly.

"Of course not," Anthony corrected. "It's not your way. But he's barely said two things aloud since last night."

Kisa looked concerned; there were times it could be hard to keep him quiet.

"Do you think I should go talk to him?" she inquired.

He grasped her arm for emphasis. "It would probably be a very good idea."

"Where is he?"

"When we returned he told me he was going for a walk, and then vanished into the crowd of disembarking Poleepkwa."

The day had gone by faster than he could have realized. He barely remembered work; not that there was much to remember. All he did was move half-assembled ammo cases from one conveyor belt to another, and inspect them for defects. But it did succeed in distracting him – to a small degree – from the numbness he felt inside.

After getting off the shuttle bus, Darren tapped his friend on the shoulder. "Going for a walk," he clicked, pointing in the direction of the setting sun, and ducked & disappeared. He sauntered around the periphery for a time, walking past the garbage piles, and past several of the concrete bathing pools. He thought he recognized Warren, but it was just a lookalike.

Along his travels, Darren found shiny metal implement humans called a fork. He picked it up and carted it around with him, keeping his face expressionless as other prawns gawked at the enormous tortoise-shelled Poleepkwa. He found a small rise and climbed atop it, and stood staring for long moments watching the sun set. Just as it dipped below the horizon, he looked around the compound, mildly pleased by the view it offered. He spotted one of the other Ice Walkers among the populace in District 10, and the familiarity sent a shiver through him.

Sinking to the cool dirt, he shuddered as the tears began to flow in earnest. Taking the fork in one hand, he drove the end with four points into his other palm, scratching the tough skin. Pulling back, he did it again, harder this time, and was rewarded with a jolt of pain.

Pain…

He drove the fork into his hand repeatedly, weeping softly but savagely the entire time, until blood was flowing freely. The first thing he had felt all day.

Good.

He continued mashing himself until he could barely move his tentacled fingers. With an angry growl he tossed the fork away as hard as he could. He watched it catch the last of the light before disappearing from view. With a sob he lowered his head into his hands, ignoring the fire that crawled up his arm from his abused hand. Blood smeared his faceplates, dripping into his eyes and down his tendrils to fall to the ground, but he didn't care. All he could see was their bodies locked together…

He wanted to scream. He wanted to die. He wanted to be with Kisa, but he wanted her to be happy no matter what. He wanted to kill Jack; but doing so would make Kisa unhappy, and he didn't want that. His tormented mind went on and on and on, regardless of his shuddering, trembling body sitting atop the hill or the blood mingling with the dirt between his knees.

He thought he heard her say his name, but when he heard nothing – not that he wanted to hear anything – he wailed softly, mewling doubtless the same way the prawns from MNU's labs had when they had been taken apart, cut up, and immobilized on trays for their savage experiments.

"Darren…" the wind seemed to say in her voice. "Oh, Darren…"

He was about to scream at the wind to be silent and stop mocking him when he felt soft hands wrap themselves around him. A head pressed into his shoulder plates and he could feel tears dripping down.

"Oh, Darren…" she hummed softly.

He looked down and saw a pair of pale prawn arms hugging him fiercely.

"Darren, I'm so, so sorry," Kisa clicked as she wept.

Darren was speechless. He stroked her arm with his good hand and felt the numbness inside begin to subside, as if her presence was a light that was driving back its darkness.

"Kisa, I…"

She put one hand over his mouth to silence him as she crawled on all fours to squat in front of him.

"I didn't want you to know – I didn't want anyone to know," she clicked. "I just felt so alone, and knew Jack felt the same. I just… it was almost spur of the moment. I felt that we needed each other, to remind each other why we fight to remain alive, why we do what we do, even in the bleakness that is this planet. I didn't want you to get jealous and get into a fight. I didn't want to hurt you…" Her smaller frame shuddered as she cried.

"Kisa…" he wrapped his big arms around her. "You've clearly given yourself to whom you think is the superior Poleepkwa."

"No," she retorted. "After my eggs were burnt to the ground, Christopher helped me… put myself back together. I promised myself I would never feel such pleasure again if it meant risking that kind of pain. Which is why I never… gave myself to you, or anyone else." She shook in his grasp, and pushed them to a horizontal position. "I was afraid."

Darren purred in understanding and nuzzled the top of her head. She bit his neck gingerly, not wanting to send the wrong message, but so distraught over the pain she had caused him she could barely bring herself to care. She allowed her full weight to fall on him, and felt his strong heart beating against her ribcage.

Cooing softly, she hugged him close, enjoying the vibration the thumping of his heart and rasping of his breath sent through her smaller figure. It felt good to have her hug him again, even though he felt she had dirtied herself by lying with Jack.

As if reading his mind, she looked into his eyes. "Don't hate Jack," she clicked. "I think I gave him what he needed, just as he did to me."

"What did you give him?"

"The strength to go on. And I'll do the same for you, when I think you need it the most." She rested her head against his chest, and he pondered what she said. They lay there for several minutes until she said, "We should really get back to the tent." Slowly, she stood and stretched, then helped him rise. Silhouetted by the rising moon, they hugged each other close, and she led him down the incline, back to their humble abode.

"I'll stay with you tonight," Kisa clicked as they approached the tent.

Darren thrummed with joy.

"I won't be breeding you," she cautioned, and his expression fell. She laid a hand on his cheek. "You don't need that from me tonight. Besides, I much prefer feeling your presence all around me, and you're actually big enough to be able to do it."

His expression rose again and he chirped happily at her compliment. She led him into the tent, where the others – except for Jack – were gathered around the small table.

"Oh, good, you found him," Anthony clicked.

Kisa immediately went for the roll of gauze; bandaging Darren's mangled hand, she led him past the others into the nest. Flapping everything to freshen it somewhat, she lay down and gestured for him to join her.

"Are you two not joining in?" Warren inquired.

"No," Kisa replied.

There was a moment of silence and they watched Darren's head disappear behind the partition and shelf. "Would you like us to leave?" he added.

"No, no, don't mind me," she chirped, and Darren purred affectionately, nuzzling her neck and inhaling her aroma. "We're not doing anything. I just need to be held for a moment. You can go if you want to, but I just want to lie down for a minute. Play your game."

The others resumed playing until Warren screeched, "Prue! No peeking! Leave them alone!"

"I was just curious," the young prawn mewled.

"Yeah, sure, with that thing sticking out, I'm sure that's ALL you were."

Kisa and Darren gurgled softly with laughter at what part of Prue's anatomy they were doubtless referring to. She pulled Darren's arms around herself when it seemed he wasn't going to do it himself, and she allowed her eyelids to close. She pushed herself backwards, forcing him into complete contact with her, and she purred again, prompting him to purr in return. He lowered his head and stroked hers with his tendrils, pecking affectionately at her.

"You're not doing this out of sympathy, are you?" he clicked softly.

"Of course not," she thrummed. "If I didn't like you, if I didn't want you around, do you think I would show you my back? Let you hold me and touch me the way you do?"

"Oh." He thrummed contentedly, and drew himself even closer.

Before long, the lights went out on the other side of the partition and Anthony went home. Warren crashed on the couch, Prue on the chair, when it seemed Jack wasn't showing up. Kisa seemed to be asleep moments later, her slow, steady breathing lulling at Darren like the most delicious seduction.

He pecked her once more on the head, stroking her antennae softly.

"I love you," he chirped before closing his eyes, and allowing himself to drift off to sleep…


End file.
